National Art Theatre gets face-lift from Bankers Committee

By Tosin Brown

In what could best be described as the restoration of national pride, the Bankers Committee has given the National Arts Theatre a face-lift and total overhaul.

Though the edifice is on the verge of completion, the renovation and upgrading of facilities at the National Arts Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos have garnered much attention.

The Committee, in a media brief, revealed the new look of the National Theatre complex.

The renovation exercise commenced in July 2021 following approval by the Federal Government and the subsequent handover of the national edifice to the Bankers Committee.

By restoring the glory of an iconic asset, the Bankers Committee aims to unlock opportunities for the youth in the creative sector, leading to job creation, income generation, and foreign exchange earnings, thereby developing a creative and entertainment center with much-needed community spaces for Nigerians.

The facilities were upgraded to match the global standard of theatre and performance venues worldwide.

The entire Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system was replaced. Fire safety standards, upgraded power, water supply, and sewage systems were all replaced.

Upgrades include interior design with the installation of Audio Video Lighting (AVL), world stage engineering systems, 11 lifts, solar power, new furniture for spaces, and the restoration of artworks including those on the internal wall panels and the building façade.

The renovation works cover different spaces, including the 4,000-seater main bowl, over 3,000-seater banquet hall, 2 exhibition halls, 3 cinemas, VIP spaces, actors’ changing rooms, an industrial kitchen, over 300 new toilet cubicles, a clinic, a fire station, lobbies within the four National Theatre entrances, and extensive roof repairs.

Speaking on the Bankers Committee’s restoration of the National Theatre, Segun Agbaje, Group Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc. (GTCo), said, “I don’t think there are many countries in Africa that have the talent that we have in entertainment and the arts. All you can do when you have talented people is to give them a platform to showcase their best. We will try to give a platform where Nigerians, who are in my opinion the best, have a chance to show the world that they are the best.”

The National Arts Theatre was constructed by the military regime of General Yakubu Gowon and completed in 1976 by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration.

The completion coincided with the hosting of the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC 77) in January 1977.