Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said the planned restoration and upgrade of the iconic National Theatre costing N25billion will generate about 10,000 jobs during and after the facelift.
The minister revealed this on Sunday in Lagos during the formal handover of the edifice and the adjoining 134-hectare fallow land to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Bankers’ Committee but quickly clarified that iconic theatre remained a national heritage and would not be ceded to any person or group as being peddled in some quarters.
The ceremony was witnessed by the Lagos State governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu; his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat; the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare; the CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele; the Chairman of the Committee of Banks’ CEOs, Mr Herbert Wigwe, among others.
”Please permit me to start off by making a clarification: this iconic National Theatre remains a national heritage and will not be ceded to any person or group, as some have chosen to frame what we are doing here today.
What we are here to do is to hand 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.
”The Federal Ministry of Information and Culture holds the keys to the National Theatre on behalf of all Nigerians,” Mohammed said.
