President Bola Tinubu’s latest announcement has stirred up quite the storm on social media. Tinubu has decided to rename the National Theatre in Lagos after Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, who turns 90 on July 13. This decision, of course, reignites the perennial Soyinka versus Achebe fan wars on Twitter. But let’s not get distracted by literary rivalries—there’s a much bigger issue at play here.
Celebrating Soyinka: The Great Man Syndrome
Sure, Wole Soyinka is a towering figure in literature and activism. Tinubu’s birthday message to him was dripping with accolades: “I celebrate him for giving us the spark to fight and confront military dictators in our country,” Tinubu said. The President went on to laud Soyinka’s lifelong battle against corruption and maladministration, his struggle for democracy, and his global stature.
Tinubu reminisced about their shared efforts to restore democracy in Nigeria after the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election. Soyinka, with his international clout, was indeed a formidable face in this struggle. His Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986, the first for an African, and a slew of other prestigious awards make him an undeniable icon.
Ignoring Female Heroes: A Patriarchal Oversight
But while Tinubu and his administration were busy polishing Soyinka’s pedestal, where was the recognition for Nigeria’s female heroes? The names Flora Nwapa, Buchi Emecheta, and Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti should ring a bell. These women have made monumental contributions to Nigerian culture, literature, and politics. Yet, their recognition is conspicuously absent.
Of course, Twitter fans didn’t miss the opportunity to remind Tinubu of the less flattering parts of Soyinka’s legacy. Comments about Soyinka’s alleged role in the birth of cultism in Nigeria were rife. But even these criticisms miss the broader point: our systemic disregard for female achievements.
The National Theatre’s Journey
The National Theatre, started under General Yakubu Gowon and completed by General Olusegun Obasanjo in 1976, has been a cornerstone of Nigeria’s performing arts. Renaming it after Soyinka comes just a month after Tinubu named the Arterial Road N20 in Abuja in his honor. It seems our leadership is on a roll with tributes—well, as long as they’re for men.Perhaps, with this renaming, the theatre will receive the much-needed attention and renovation to restore it to its former glory.
Recognizing Female Contributions
If our leaders can’t see past their patriarchal biases, maybe it’s time we force them to. Nigeria’s female heroes deserve more than a footnote in history.
Their contributions are no less significant, and their legacies deserve to be honoured with the same fervor as their male counterparts.
