Entertainment
National Theater: The Bankers’ Committee “made me eat my words – Soyinka
President Tinubu stated that there was no controversy surrounding the renaming of the National Theatre, adding that he considered Prof. Soyinka’s contributions to the arts and culture.
•From left: First Lady Oluremi Tinubu; President Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Prof Wole Soyinka and Lagos State Governor Babajide-Sanwo-Olu…yesterday.
Nobel laureate Prof Wole Soyinka says that before the renovation of the National Theatre, located at Iganmu, Lagos, he thought it was irredeemable, but the Bankers’ Committee “made me eat my words.”’
The renovated edifice was renamed the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts, by President Bola Tinubu, as parts of events marking Nigeria’s 65th independent anniversary, yesterday.
Soyinka praised the transformation of the building, noting, “If eating one’s word produces a morsel like this, then it’s a very tasty set of words.”
Soyinka emphasized that he accepted the renaming of the National Theatre after him : ” I never believed that the monument could ever be revamped.”
He admitted that he accepted the honour with mixed feelings, despite being a critic of many past leaders, who appropriated public monuments.
“I have to stand up in public and watch my name being put up as yet another appropriator. It just didn’t seem very well for me,” the literary giant said.
The Bankers’ Committee committed N68 billion into the project.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the occasion directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to float a National Arts Theatre Endowment Fund to ensure the maintenance of the national edifice.
Among the prominent persons at the event were First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso, who coordinated the Bankers’ Committee, Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi, who is a former CBN governor; Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Minister of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa.
The Bankers’ Committee committed N68 billion into the project.
President Tinubu said there was no controversy in the National Theatre being renamed, adding that he considered Prof Soyinka’s contributions to the arts and culture. Prof. Wole Soyinka is one of the greatest assets of the world. So, the renaming could not have gone to anyone else,” he said.
President Tinubu stated that there was no controversy surrounding the renaming of the National Theatre, adding that he considered Prof. Soyinka’s contributions to the arts and culture.
Olayemi Cardoso, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, disclosed that the Bankers’ Committee, the Lagos State Government, and the Ministry of Art, Culture, and the Creative Economy came together with a shared purpose to deliver this national project, with the Bankers’ Committee alone committing approximately N68 billion, not as corporate social responsibility but as a deliberate investment in Nigeria’s cultural future.
He said that the project stands as proof that when the public and private sectors unite behind a shared national purpose, there is no limit to what Nigeria can achieve.
The CBN boss stated that 65 years after our nation’s founding, Nigeria’s creative spirit remains alive, pervasive and shaping global culture.
Entertainment
President Tinubu, Other Political Leaders Watch MKO Documentary
The documentary, MKO, directed by Nigerian-American filmmaker Ose Oyamendan, chronicles the life, political journey and legacy of the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, with particular focus on the June 12, 1993 presidential election, its annulment, subsequent detention and the pro-democracy struggle that followed.
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday attended the official launch and premiere of MKO at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts in Lagos, ahead of the film’s nationwide cinema release from October 2.
Chief MKO Abiola occupies a prominent place in Nigeria’s democratic history as the winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, which was annulled by the then military government.
The President was joined at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts in Lagos by First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
Others present included Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu, Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila, Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy Hannatu Musawa, former Ogun State Governor Segun Osoba and other dignitaries.
The documentary, MKO, directed by Nigerian-American filmmaker Ose Oyamendan, chronicles the life, political journey and legacy of the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, with particular focus on the June 12, 1993 presidential election, its annulment, subsequent detention and the pro-democracy struggle that followed.
The film, which had its international premiere at the Sheffield International Documentary Festival in the United Kingdom in June 2026, features archival materials and first-hand accounts from key personalities connected to the period.
Entertainment
Nollywood actor Cjay Nwokafor dies
Cjay, who began his acting career in 2021, featured in several Nollywood productions, including Larry Cold, Mum Overnight and A Day to My Wedding.
•Nollywood actor Cjay Nwokafor
The death of Nollywood actor Chijioke “Cjay” Nwokafor has been announced.
Cjay, an indigene of Anambra, who began his acting career in 2021, featured in several Nollywood productions, including Larry Cold, Mum Overnight and A Day to My Wedding.
His colleague, actress Nkechi Blessing, announced his death on Instagram on Wednesday, sharing videos of herself with the late actor.
Blessing did not disclose the cause of his death but said she had cancelled the release of her movie, Egusi Ogbono, in his honour. Cjay featured in the film.
The actress had initially scheduled the movie for release at 5pm on Wednesday but withdrew it after a hospital confirmed the actor’s death.
Blessing said she spoke with Cjay at about 8am on Wednesday, only to receive news of his death a few hours later.
“Cjay Nwoke Oma, so this is really the end? Omo we had plans. I spoke to you at 8 a.m. today and a few hours later you are no more with us.
Entertainment
WhatsApp introduces parental controls for teens
The new controls allow parents to manage how their teens use Channels, whose Status updates they can see and who can view their own Status updates.
WhatsApp has introduced new parental controls that allow parents to manage how their teenagers use the messaging platform while keeping their private conversations protected.
The platform announced the controls in a blog post on Wednesday, saying parents and teens can set them up together to determine the WhatsApp experience that best suits their family.
Parents can choose privacy settings for their teens, including who can see their profile photo and who can add them to groups.
If a teenager wants to change some of the settings, parental approval through a parent-set PIN will be required.
Parents will also receive notifications when their teen joins or leaves a group, or when a group the teen belongs to grows significantly.
The new controls allow parents to manage how their teens use Channels, whose Status updates they can see and who can view their own Status updates.
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