Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has shared his thoughts on the renaming of the National Theatre, Lagos, in his honour, admitting that he accepted the recognition with “mixed feelings.”

The National Theatre, located in Iganmu, has been officially renamed the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Speaking at the reopening and rededication of the refurbished edifice, Soyinka reflected on his longstanding opposition to the practice of naming public monuments after individuals.

“I have been guilty of saying other people do not merit this kind of monumental dedication, and then I had to stand up in public and watch my name being put up as yet another appropriator. It just didn’t sit well with me. I accepted this honour with mixed feelings,” he said.

Soyinka, however, explained that he eventually accepted because of both nostalgia and responsibility. He recalled the National Theatre’s pivotal role in Nigeria’s cultural history, particularly during FESTAC ’77, while also lamenting its years of neglect when it fell into disrepair.

“I remember this building was first erected during the military regime. We had FESTAC ‘77 in this very hall. Later, it became so degraded that I once described it as irredeemable, like a slum. But seeing its transformation today, if eating one’s words produces a morsel like this, then it’s a very tasty set of words,” he remarked.

Soyinka also paid tribute to Nigerian theatre pioneers such as Hubert Ogunde and Adam Fiberesima, stressing that the nation’s cultural heritage must always be preserved.

The playwright concluded that, while he remains cautious about “personal appropriations” of public monuments, he recognized that “somebody has to carry the can” in the effort to keep Nigeria’s cultural history alive.