National Theatre, Lagos, not sold – Duke · Nigerians react to the news

Duke

National Theatre, Lagos

The Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke has debunked the story on the purported sale of the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos to United Arab Emirates conglomerate Mulk Holdings.

The Minister described the news as “absolutely false and arrant nonsense!” he made this statement in a phone conversation with the Newswatch Times.

“Why would people peddle falsehood when one phone call is enough to verify fact or fallacy? Duke queried.

In the same vein, many people have reacted to the unconfirmed story on the sale of National Theatre, Lagos, and warned that National Theatre should be a national monument to be preserved to generations yet unborn.

According to Mr. James Ibeh, a musical artiste, “This can’t be true. No country sells its heritage.”

“Why should National Theatre be sold to a foreign nation? The Federal Government should revisit the matter for tomorrow's Nigerians and stop the idea of selling the National Theatre,” says Mr. Idowu Adeleke, a performing artist.

In August 2013, Duke, in a chat with Newswatch Times revealed that though arrangements were on-going for the proposed plan for Public-Private Partnership in upgrading the National Theatre and its environs, he did not reveal how far they had gone in the plan.

Commenting on the stage they have reached on the proposed concession of the National Theatre, he stressed: “We are still at the preliminary stage of the project and taking out a roadmap, but it is important that in doing that, we must carry all Nigerians along, especially, the National Assembly with representatives from all over the country who hold a mandate to represent the interest of the public, and what we have seen today, is an eloquent testimony of the fact that it is time for a renewal of the National Theatre.

“The state of rot, the state of dilapidation and the state of abuse of the asset that makes up the National Theatre and makes up the commonwealth of Nigeria has been raped by people who have no positive consideration for us as a country.

“We must find the courage, we must find the will, after 36 years, to ensure that the property benefit from the new investment that will groom the potentials of creative sector to its full prospect.

Asked to comment on the amount the government was likely to make from the proposed concession, he said: “It is not an immediate thing. What we have in mind in terms of the business plan now is an assumption based on credible facts that this project would benefit the government in the area of N100 billion and that over a period of 30 years, whoever invests here would continue to pay money to the coffers of the federal government for the benefit of the entire country and after a period of concession which we have to be agreed by all subscribers to this initiative. Then the project will revert to the federal government of Nigeria.

“This is a classic initiative, classic platform and opportunity for Nigeria, and unless we are being mischievous, the statement and the business plan are very clear and very transparent. I cannot tell you that this is likely to generate a N100 billion Naira for the government, tomorrow it turns out that it generates N150 billion and people will misinterpret it,” he added.

Last year, Newswatch Times learnt that there had been series of meetings between interested companies with the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation concerning the concessioning of the National theatre, but the outcome of the meetings was not revealed.

Early last week, unconfirmed reports had it that Chief Duke had sold the National Theatre in Lagos to United Arab Emirates conglomerate Mulk Holdings in a deal said to worth about $40m under which the facility would be turned into a shopping mall.

  The report went further to reveal that, “ Last year, Duke considered turning the theatre into a hotel but his plans were rejected and ever since then, he has been looking for a buyer for the facility. Apparently, he has now entered into an arrangement with the Mulk Holdings, a diversified conglomerate with interests in retail and other businesses.”

 According to the reports, “Sources close to the deal, revealed that a concessionary arrangement has been signed between the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE); Chief Duke; Kabiru Yar’Adua, the General Manager of the National Theatre and representatives of Mulk Holdings, under which the buyer provide $40m counterpart funding into a project.

“Mr. Yar'Adua said: “Mulk Holdings has announced its entry into the retail sector in West Africa through a $40m joint venture to develop Nigeria’s National Arts Theatre in Lagos into a duty-free shopping centre in partnership with the Suzanne Group. The interior of the National Theatre will be redesigned and renovated into a modern duty-free and retail shopping mall and the project will cover approximately 30,000m2 of the existing space in two 15,000m2 phases.”

 Recall that the 37-year-old edifice was inaugurated on September 30, 1976, by the then Military Head of State, General Olusegun Obasanjo, and was commissioned few months before the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC ’77) in January/February 1977.

Shaped like a military hat, the 5000-seater theatre’s main Hall has a collapsible stage, and two 700-800 capacity cinema halls all of which are equipped with facilities for simultaneous translation of eight languages.

In 2001, the then president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR, announced plans to privatize the National Arts Theatre and this sparked controversy amongst Nigerian entertainers and playwrights including Professor Wole Soyinka.

Consequently, the recent Federal Government’s plan to engage Public Private Partnership (PPP) in the management of the facility was greeted with protests  and outcry after a quit notice was issued to National Gallery of Arts (NGA), National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) and the National Troupe of Nigeria (NTN). Many people accused the government of turning the theatre to a hotel, while some people became sceptical, alleging that few people might be interested in building structures in the theatre premises.

Sources stressed that often times, they would hear that government has privatised a project or property and few individuals would end up using pseudo names to acquire such property for themselves.

But, Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke, earlier debunked that allegation and said that Transaction Advisor was engaged, to, among others give Transaction Advisory Services for the application of Public-Private Partnership option for the delivery of the necessary services on the land.

He also said that a committee that consisted of representatives of the Federal Ministry of Housing, Infrastructural Regulations Committee and Surveyor General, was set up in September 2012, to look into the possibility of Public Private Partnership (PPP) in the management of the facility and revealed that the committee engaged VGL Consultants, a foreign consulting firm, to look into ways of turning around the surroundings of the theatre.

“The theatre ground had empty space with smelly water, which should be rehabilitated and the land turned into a five-star hotel, a shopping mall, offices, leisure spots and car parks. This was designed 37 years ago, when the theatre was built but because of lack of funds, the plan did not come up,” he said.

Also speaking then, the General Manager of the National Theatre, Mr. Kabir Yusuf also revealed that the main bowl of the National Theatre needs about N4 billion to put it back in shape but there is no fund to make it work. “All over the world, no theatre stands alone. So, we have to source for funds, we can’t allow an edifice like that to die just like that. It is a symbol of culture,” he said.

He showed the reporter a voluminous bound document that proved that the idea was documented in April 1983. “The contractors will build these structures and use for 30 years to recoup their money, after which it becomes government property.”

Observers have therefore, advised the government to ensure that the arrangement is done with transparency to enable both Nigerians and foreigners derive maximum satisfaction from National Theatre.