“Providing the public with access to contract documents, particularly to development practitioners, makes more informed and balanced evaluation of government’s well-intentioned initiatives, as this, possible”
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari on February 10,approved N21 billion for the renovation of the National Theatre. The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed disclosed this at the end of the FEC’s meeting on Wednesday.
The Minister clarified that the renovation will be in two phases. The first phase is the revamp of the deplorable state of the infrastructure, while the second phase will consist of the expansion of the theatre. He further noted that the Central Bank would provide the fund for the renovation of the national monument and manage it for a few years before handing it over to the government.
However, the government’s decision to revamp and return the national treasure to its glory days has generated different reactions from the citizenry. While some commended the government, others have criticised the government for approving such an amount for the renovation of the building.
The idea of the national monument situated at Iganmu, the heart of Lagos, was conceived in 1973 during the regime of General Yakubu Gowon. However, the construction was completed in 1976. Thereafter, General Olusegun Obasanjo commissioned the project in preparation for the second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture in 1977 tagged FESTAC ‘77.
Since its establishment, the edifice has served as a major events venue and hosted several local and international activities and musical concerts, film shows, exhibitions, dramas, symposia, workshops and conventions. The building which contains an auditorium, a conference hall, two theatres and dining areas have been used by notable figures for different performances. Nigerian Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka for one, staged his play themed King Baabu at the theatre in 2001. Similarly, late musical legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti had also performed at the Centre.
In July 2020, the Federal Government handed over the national theatre to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to commence the renovation of the national monument. Following this decision, the FEC approved the sum of N21.894 billion for the project on February 10.
Subsequently, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Ministry of Information, CBN and the Bankers’ Committee (an exclusive forum for the chief executives of Nigerian banks and directors of the different departments of the CBN) on February 14.
According to the statement on CBN’s official Twitter page, the main project contractor is Cappa & D’Alberto Limited, while Nairda Limited and VACC Limited are the electrical and mechanical Sub-Contractors, respectively.
To commence the project, the Bankers’ Committee and the main contractor handling the project signed an MoU on February 14 for the first phase of the renovation which is expected to be completed in 15 months. The work in the first phase include an upgrade of main halls and cinema halls, conference and banquet halls, press hall and the bar; installation of new seats, upgrade of the sanitary facilities, installation of lifts, acoustics and specialist lightings; and air conditioning, lighting, other power-related and plumbing work to international standards.
The second phase of the project will involve the creation and implementation of a detailed master plan for the 134 hectares of adjoining land to the Theatre. The works include the development of purpose-built clusters to provide world-class facilities for Nigeria’s Creative Industry.
However, the question of how much return on investment the project will generate lingers, due, partly, to the unavailability of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) contract document to the public. Yet, the economic growth prospects of the government’s decision to renovate the national theatre to the arts, entertainment and recreation sector is significant.
The contribution of the Arts, Entertainment and Recreation to Nigeria’s overall Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has grown significantly from N28.1 billion (at real price value) in 2009 to N162.9 billion in 2019.
Despite the impact of the coronavirus, the latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows the industry contributed N158 billion (that is, 0.22%) to the country’s GDP in 2020, although indicating a 2.5% decline from the figure recorded in 2019.
Following the growing trend in the sector, there is no doubt that the revamp of the National theatre to a world-class creative hub will position it to attract local hospitality and international tourism prospects, and thereby boost the sector’s GDP contribution. A growing revenue from the Arts, Entertainment and Recreation sector might also relax the government’s over-dependence on the oil and gas sector.
The national theatre renovation also promises to unlock economic potential in the creative industry by creating job opportunities for the youths who dominate the industry, thereby reducing the country’s unemployment rate. The unemployment rate stood at 27.1%, indicating that 21.7 million Nigerians were unemployed, according to the data released by NBS in the second quarter of 2020.
The CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele projected that the upgrade of the theatre would create a minimum of 10,000 direct and indirect jobs during the project’s construction phase. This is in addition to the 25,000 employees Mr. Emefeile noted would be engaged in different sections of the monument when the “Signature Cluster” of the building is completed. The Signature Cluster of the building according to Mr Emefiele will consist of a building each for music, film, fashion and information technology verticals.
The building’s renovation will attract investment in the already booming sector. Mr Emefiele revealed that the country can earn over $20 billion annually from the creative industry and over one million jobs is expected to be created in five years.
Given the short and long term economic value of this project to the country, particularly the creative industry, timely implementation of project plans and efficient running of the business is critical to the success of the project.
Besides, providing the public with access to contract documents, particularly to development practitioners, makes more informed and balanced evaluation of government’s well-intentioned initiatives, as this, possible.