Nigeria: Artists Rise Against Proposed National Hotel in Place of National Theartre

Last week, Nigerian artists under the umbrella of an association called Artists Collective held a rally to challenge Federal government's decision to make the nation's cultural symbol, the National Theatre  a five star hotel.

Right from the minute it was rumoured that the Federal Government has made arrangements to concession the premises of the National Theatre to private profiteers, to the time when the rumour was confirmed by the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Chief Edem Duke, things have never been the same again for artists who make their daily bread from doing business in the area.

You are either greeted with sad faces of the agitated artistes who are busy, mapping out strategies of how to confront the Federal Government on the matter or a much more aggrieved stone-faced mascot who positioned himself on the top of the National Council for Arts and Culture's (NCAC) Artist Village gate, from dawn to dusk, making sure every visitor understood the import of the proposed sale of the National edifice on the arts and culture industry.

Acting in compliance of the two-week ultimatum giving to occupants of the Theatre premises, to vacate the area, Works at the National Gallery of Arts (NGA), were also seen being moved into storage.

During a conference which later culminated into a mini protest within the premises of the Theatre, held last Thursday at the NCAC Artist Village, organised by stakeholders in the industry, representatives of associations such as the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA, Lagos chapter), Guild of Nigerian Dancers (GONG), Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Radio, Television and Theatre Arts Workers Union (RATTAWU), Directors Guild of Nigeria(DGN), Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA), Universal Studio of Artists (USA), and several others, which formed a coalition; 'Artist Collective', took turns to condemn the proposed plan.

Veteran writer and Dramatist, chief Lari Williams MFR, enjoined the artists to be ready for war and stressed that the plan of the Minister Edem Duke and Director General of the National Theatre Alhaji Kabiru "to build the so called five star hotel, shopping malls etc, is totally unaccepted because without arts and culture, no nation can stand, which is why artists built the Artist Village with self help and have been at the fore front of nation building."

Arts manager and producer, Babatope Babayemi who operates 'The Little Theatre' at the National Theatre Annex, said that the challenge facing artists is that government has not realized the vital role arts can play in boosting the economy as well as governance of Nigeria.