Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has described the renovation and renaming of the National Theatre in Lagos after him as a moment that made him “eat his words,” but in a way that left him satisfied.
Speaking at the ceremony attended by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, traditional rulers, colleagues, students and admirers, Soyinka recalled once dismissing the theatre as a slum unworthy of preservation.
“When Lagos was celebrating 50 years and we needed a hub, one of the places we visited was here,” he said. “I told them, plant a bomb, blow it up. It was a desert, a slum. And these bankers have now made me eat my words. If eating one’s words produces a morsel like this, then it’s a very tasty set of words.”
Watch and listen to his speech here.
The laureate, however, admitted he accepted the honor with “mixed feelings,” given his well-known criticism of naming monuments after individuals. “About 25% of them are deserved,” he said, “but here I am, standing to watch my name being put up as yet another appropriator.”
Still, he noted that the theatre “owed him,” recalling how its dilapidated state once nearly electrocuted two of his actors. He also drew attention to theatre pioneers such as Yubato Gode, Dolai Dipo, Fibberissima, Akuyuba, and Akpavot, saying the honor represented their contributions as well.
Describing himself as a “dramatic creation,” Soyinka spoke humorously about the coincidences in his life, including arriving at the ceremony directly from a festival of African theatre in Abu Dhabi, and once being kidnapped at 91 while on his way to another theatre festival.
He concluded by thanking the President, whom he called a “great conspirator,” and dedicating the recognition to African dramatists across the continent.
