CONTROVERSY TRAILS NATIONAL THEATRE, JIDE KOSOKO AND OLU JACOB SPEAKS.

Words: Adedosu 'kenzy' Adekunle

 Precisely On Monday, March 25, 2013, the Federal Government through the Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Edem Duke, made an announcement about redeveloping the National Arts Theatre to incorporate a five-star hotel, a shopping mall, land and water restaurants, office complex and a multi-level car park, a decision many have found not only appalling, but also disappointing.

The proposed redevelopment, according to the Minister, was contained in the original master plan of the complex which was built by Messrs Technoexportsroy, a Bulgarian construction company between 1973-1976.

As a reflection of the government’s indifference to the plight of the sector, the government also issued allegedly a two-week’s quit notice to all the arts and culture agencies operating within the premises of the National Theatre complex in preparation for the rehabilitation exercise, a plan which has elicited the reactions of art enthusiasts and critics of the government’s policy.

The National Arts Theatre in Lagos is very central to Nigeria when it comes to arts and culture. The complex, commissioned in 1976 by the military government of General Olusegun Obasanjo to celebrate the Festival of Arts and Culture, popularly referred to as FESTAC ’77, to showcase, promote and preserve Nigeria and by extension Africa’s arts and rich cultural heritage attracting participants and personages from different parts of the world.

All over the world, human communities, including nations, states, cities and other communities set up official cultural centres to signalize the community’s cultural arrival, embody its artistic values, showcase its artifacts and incubate the progressive development of its creative expressions.

Typical of many national structures in Nigeria, the National Arts Theatre has had its fare share of neglect, official mismanagement and poor maintenance which has crippled most of the facilities in the complex.

The arts and culture agencies in the premises of the National Theatre which includes, National Gallery of Art, the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), National Troupe of Nigeria (NTN), the Artists Village and Universal Studio of Artists (USA), have however vowed to resist the ‘government’s attempt to destroy the largest artistes cluster in Nigeria in the name of rehabilitation’.

The first attempt by government to ‘hijack’ the theatre was in 2001 when then President Obasanjo announced plans to privatise it. This sparked off controversy in the arts community. Notable voices, including Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka were against the move. Actors and actresses staged a series of protests against the sell-off plans. There were arguments that buyers of the theatre would use it to enrich themselves and not promote arts and culture. Eventually the plan was dumped and now it is resurfacing in another format.

On paper, the plan is to add a five-star hotel, and other recreational facilities to the theatre, but some fear the whole edifice may be turned to an hotel or probably privatised, as such undermine the purpose for which it was built.

‘That is what they (the government) will say initially but before you know it, they will sell the entire theatre to private investors’, Tunde Adesina, a staff of the National Gallery of Modern Art located on the premises of the complex told  journalists on Saturday.

In an effort to correct the impression, the Federal Government has emphasized that it has no plans to turn the monumental edifice into a five-star hotel. In a statement captured by the Guardian, the General Manager of the National Theatre, Kabir Yusuf Yar’adua stated that government is implementing the business segment of the master-plan of the 37-year-old edifice and that the Theatre would not be touched and would still remain and function as the nation’s foremost cultural and event venue.

‘There is no issue of touching the National Theatre. What government is doing is to lease the landed properties surrounding the edifice to investors to develop. This is a way to save the theatre instead of outright sale. The facilities earmarked for the business phase of the complex, which is in tandem with the master-plan of the theatre include a five-star hotel, shopping mall, multi-level car park, land and water restaurants as well as offices’, Yar’adua stated.

In recent times, there has been a draught of visitors and fun seekers at the complex. The new management have ben accused of making the complex a no-go area for theatre practitioners and for culture and arts activities as the cost of using the venue has experienced a tremendous hike forcing organisers to look elsewhere for alternatives.

We also discovered that the proposed redevelopment has also become a thing of worry amongst the traders and shop owners in the theatre who fear that the renovations will displace them from the theatre. ‘For this small shop, we pay the sum of N250, 000 per annum. If they are building an hotel, there is this possibility that they might evacuate us from the premises, a place that we have been earning a living from for years now’, said Justina Okoro, a shop owner in the bar clusters popularly called ‘Abe Igi’  within the premises of the theatre.

Most of the new policies initiated at the National Arts Theatre, some say have been anti-developmental and have been blamed on the current management. ‘Since, this new GM arrived there has been so many uncertainties…now people hardly use the theatre for any events, because of the high rates for the renting of the halls. When people don’t come around more often, it affects our businesses’, another trader Sade Olaniyi. said

Speaking with journalists, the Corporate Affairs Manager of the Theatre, Toyin Mohammed, while admitting to the plans to redevelop, stated that the people have been misinformed of the government’s intent concerning the renovations. ‘All of these plans are being initiated to further enhance…the National Arts Theatre. By erecting the new structures, we hope to give the theatre a world class status that is befitting a monument of such’.

Concerning the eviction of the agencies from the theatre, Mohammed noted that arrangement is being made to re-accommodate them when the work is completed. ’The relocation of the agencies is only temporary as they will still be accommodated in the new structures that will be erected’.

Despite government’s defence, some are still suspicious of its intention. ‘Why will they ask the agencies to relocate from the premises if their plan is to expand infrastructure in the complex?’ asked a Tunji Akinloye of the Universal Studios of Arts.

Actor, Jide Kosoko, a former President of the Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (ANTP) in a telephone conversation with our reporter declared that he is aware of the situation. ‘The government had explained that they will only be erecting these new structures to compliment the National Arts Theatre. Personally I think it is a welcome development that is long over-due, so long as the main structure is not tampered with’.

On the alleged hike in the cost of renting the halls at the theatre, he said, ‘The government ought to give special concessions to practitioners of the arts in the use of the theatre. This will serve as government’s contribution to the arts in Nigeria’.

A foremost actor on stage and on screen, Olu Jacobs while talking to journalist, said that they most important thing would be to make sure that the policy does not lead to the demise of the arts. ‘There’s little I can comment on the proposed plan because the much I know is what I have read in the dailies. Whatever plan the government have, so long as the arts stays alive because it is on this basis that we have the industry that we now call Nollywood and so anything that will undermine that progress will be resisted.’

Looking at the implication of the proposed development, one thing that is certain is the increase in traffic flow in the environs. Bode Akinsanya, a member of the Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA) told our reporter in a telephone conversation that despite the commendable initiative, other factors may have to be put into consideration. ‘If this was in the original plan, it is only important to consider the relevance of this new development almost 40 years after. While working on internal structures, the government must be prepared for the heavy influx of traffic and so, make accessible the roads leading to the complex’.

As it is, only in the coming weeks will stakeholders understand government’s real intentions for the complex as fears, criticisms and commendations continue to trail the policy. Only time will tell if the theatre will be the better or worse off.