In a letter marking Professor Wole Soyinka’s 90th birthday, President Bola Tinubu announced the renaming of the National Arts Theatre in Iganmu, Lagos, to the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts.
The letter, personally signed by Tinubu, was released to the media to celebrate the Nobel Laureate’s milestone birthday.”I am pleased to join admirers around the world in celebrating the 90th birthday of Nigeria’s iconic son and the world-renowned Professor Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde, famously known as Wole Soyinka,” Tinubu wrote.
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He highlighted Soyinka’s achievements and his impact on literature and social justice, noting that a symposium and poetry reading were held in Rabat, Morocco, to honor him.
President Tinubu lauded Wole Soyinka, the first African to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986, for his resilience and contributions to global literature and activism. “Having beaten prostate cancer, this milestone is a fitting testament to his ruggedness as a person and the significance of his work,” Tinubu stated.
He further emphasized Wole Soyinka’s enduring influence, saying, “Professor Soyinka is a colossus, a true Renaissance person blessed with innumerable talents. He is a playwright, actor, poet, human rights and political activist, composer, and singer. He remains the shining light of our nation.”
Tinubu also recalled Soyinka’s courageous efforts during Nigeria’s civil war and his continued fight against oppression and injustice. He celebrated Soyinka’s role in Nigeria’s struggle for democracy following the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, noting his global stature in opposing military dictatorship.
“Today, I join the world to celebrate his profound influence on generations of writers, scholars, and activists who have been inspired by his work. I wish Professor Soyinka an incredibly happy 90th birthday,” Tinubu concluded.
