The Federal Government through the Ministry of information and Culture has officially handed over the National Theatre for restoration and upgrade and the fallow land within the premises to the Central Bank and the Bankers’ Committee for development.
Speaking during the handing over in Lagos, the Minister of Information and Culture , Alhaji Lai Mohammed who noted that his Ministry holds the keys to the National Theatre on behalf of all Nigerians, clarified that the iconic facility remains a National heritage that can never be ceded to anyone or group as being rumoured by some people.
According to Alhaji Mohammed, the project which is being executed under the Lagos Creative and Entertainment Centre Project, a Public-Private Partnership (PPP), has two phases. Phase 1 is to restore and upgrade the National Theatre to its glory days at a cost of 7 billion Naira, while Phase II will be the development of the fallow land within the premises of the edifice, at a cost of 18 billion Naira.
The Minister who explained that the project will not lead to a single job loss but will create 6,000 new jobs. He said that no major renovation work has been done on the National Theatre in last 40 years.
He noted that the National Theatre was established to encourage the advancement of the performing arts throughout the Country; to create opportunities for performing artists of the Country as well as to aid the promotion of social development and the improvement of the quality of life.
The Minister enjoined all stakeholders to give maximum support to the project so that they can bequeath a befitting National heritage to the coming generations.
Modupe Arotolu
