President Bola Tinubu has renamed the National Arts Theatre in Lagos, which is now called the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts.
He did this to honour Nobel Prize winner, Professor Wole Soyinka, on his 90th birthday.
In a special message, Tinubu praised Soyinka’s work and life, saying, “Professor Soyinka, the first African to win the Nobel Literature Prize in 1986, deserves all the accolades as he marks the milestone of 90 years on earth. Having beaten prostate cancer, this milestone is a fitting testament to his ruggedness as a person and the significance of his work.”
Tinubu said it is important to honour Soyinka while he is still alive. He added, “Despite deprivation and solitary confinement, his resolve to speak truth to power and fight for the marginalised was further strengthened.”
Tinubu also said that Soyinka has inspired people all over the world. He has spoken out against unfair treatment, from apartheid in South Africa to racism in the United States.
Soyinka has also shown courage. In his 20s, he tried to make peace during the civil war in 1967 and was jailed for it. He wrote about his experience in his book, “The Man Died.”
Tinubu and Soyinka have both worked to promote democracy in Nigeria. “He is a giant best riding not just the literary world but our nation, Africa, and the world,” Tinubu added.
