The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said rehabilitation of the first phase of the National Arts Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, has been completed and is set to host the United Nations World Tourism Organisation and the Federal Government of Nigeria’s conference on “Linking Tourism, Culture, and the Creative Industries”.
In a statement Sunday, the Director, Corporate Communications Department of CBN, Osita Nwanisobi, said the rehabilitation which was being conducted by the CBN and the Bankers’ Committee, in 2020, invested over N65bn to return the theatre to its former glory while working closely with the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture (FMIC), the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, and the Lagos State Government.
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Nwanisobi said over the past 18 months a complex rehabilitation project had rebuilt the heart of the theatre, with more than 70 historic sculptures, mosaics, resin, brass and wood friezes and stained-glass artworks.
He said, “When the second phase of the rehabilitation is completed in March, 2023, the national theatre will be restored to its original glory. A 5,000-seater main amphitheatre comparable to anything else in the world will sit at its heart, flanked by two world-class cinema rooms, banquet halls and a library.”
Governor of CBN, Godwin Emefiele, said the theatre was one of the symbols of Nigeria’s culture and heritage and must be at the heart of its work to enhance and celebrate the creative industries.
