National Arts Theatre

The National Theatre in Lagos, Nigeria, is the country's main centre for the performing arts. It stands in the Iganmu area of Surulere. It was finished in 1976 so that it could host the 1977 Festival of Arts and Culture, known as FESTAC '77, a huge celebration of African art.

The building is shaped like a military cap, and it looks like the Palace of Culture and Sports in Varna, Bulgaria, though it is about four times bigger. It was designed and built by a Bulgarian company. In 2024 it was renamed after Nobel Prize winner Wole Soyinka, and a renovated building was re-opened in October 2025.

What is inside?

The theatre was planned with a main hall of 5,000 seats that has a stage that can fold away. It also has two cinema halls. All of them were equipped so that speeches can be translated into 8 languages at the same time, which suits a festival that welcomed people from many countries. The outside is a round drum with a crown of white ribs flaring out around dark glass, as the card on the globe describes it.

A long road to renovation

Work began under General Yakubu Gowon's military government and ended under Olusegun Obasanjo. In later years, many managers ran the building. A new renovation began in 2020, with the government and banks and companies working together, and most of it was finished in 2024. On 1 October 2025, during Nigeria's 65th Independence Day celebrations, it was officially re-dedicated as the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts.

On the globe

The model shows a round drum with a crown of white ribs flaring out around dark glass. Look for the cap-like shape.