So last weekend in my endless quest to give my kids the "Nigerian experience" (cue moaning and long sighs from back of car) I dragged them off to the National Theatre to show them around. We were lucky as there was nothing happening that day so it was deserted. We were even more lucky to come across one of the theatre's staff who gave us a guided tour of this spectacular but now crumbling edifice.
I was overwhelmed with nostalgia as I used to go and visit the theatre during my hols from school in the States and I vividly remember seeing Third World perform there. Coincidentally Iyawo was at the same show so it would appear she has been stalking me for some time.
As we wandered around this magnificent edifice it was heart breaking to see the state it had been allowed to fall into. The main hall where the shows were held was now a rotting carcass with so any holes in the roof that apparently when it rained outside it might as well have been raining inside. All the electrics had packed up, the electric moving stage was now totally incapacitated and the seats were either broken or the fabric had rotted off them. We had to tread carefully as some of the floorboards had rotted through and one wrong step......
In spite of this it was still breathtaking. Apparently it is spread over 7 floors!! and has several hundred restrooms. Iyawo was very taken (and was keen to take) with some of the beautiful and so solid carved wooden doors that were now literally hanging by a screw or a hinge.
As we went through the wide corridors, up and down the stairs and enjoyed the spectacular views of the neighbouring landscape through one of the balconies of the higher floors the guard continued to fill us in with the history of the place. Apparently it had been built by some Belgians in exchange for oil as we did not have the money to pay them in hard currency. It has its own Police station and Post Office and is located in the exact centre of Lagos to allow equal access from all corners of the state.
However due to a long running dispute between Lagos State and the Federal government over who owned it and who was responsible for maintainance it had been allowed to slowly fall into total disrepair. The good news is that a new administrator has been appointed to start reviving it and already there are some signs of work in progress. Some of the conference rooms are now being rented out for shows (the Vagina Monologues was staged there last week) , weddings and conferences and there apparently is a plan to bring the whole thing back to its previous glory. With its grounds, its vibe, the architecture and the feel of the place it could and should be one of the main tourist sites in Africa. I look forward to that day.
So if you ever have the chance I urge you to visit this piece of national treasure just to have a good look around. The architecture is still very stunning and some of the design effects are just spectacular.
Next week - The National Stadium. These kids will get the Nigerian Experience even if it kills me.
Posts
9 comments:
Been there, and I have absolutely no regrets from the trip. I'd also recommend (if you can find the time, and endure the sighs), trips to the National Museum, Onikan, the Benin Museum in Benin City, and the National War Museum in Umuahia. Those places are the shizznit!
I just took my Mum and Kids to the National Museum as a treat with my Mum over from UK.
I have to say it was an absolute disaster! I cannot believe just how run down the place is. About two thirds of the light bulbs have gone and not been replaced so it is hard to see anything, the display cabinets are falling apart and not properly done and even the selection of artifacts is very limited. For a country with such an abundance of history and culture it is a disgrace.
Outside the main building is the shack containing Nigeria government, Past and Present. Again a damning indictment of the state of the nation. The whole building is gradually falling down, it stinks and is incredibly dark. All of the display pics are very old and faded and the car of MM is just stuck in the middle.
Why can't the place be knocked down and a new state of the art museum be built? Then Nigeria could start pushing hard to get back all of those items that are still being housed overseas.
I drive through the National Theatre complex every week and it could be such an incredible place. They have just opened a new art gallery which will be having exhibitions of Nigeria art from time to time which is good. However when I went to the next building which is supposed to be the National Arts and Craft centre it is a dereclict building with someone selling a few tatty paintings and wooden carvings upstairs. Again a real real shame. If you go to the beach you get to see better stuff including old trading beads, decent carvings, paintings and fabric!
I did go to Olumo Rock in Abeokuta which was a good day out. It is professionally run with good tour guides and a new lift system that is good for little kids and older people. The road from Lagos through Sagamu is a real pleasure to drive on and the old town of Abeokuta would be made into a real tourist destination in other parts of the world. Well worth a day trip with the kids.
lol... it really is beautiful... there are sooo many more places I will visit the next time i come to nigeria... in spite of the tons that i already did... somehow you just always feel as though theres more to see... and God bless Nigeria.. there IS.
@chxta - we had been to the National Museum but as anonymous descbies it was a bit of a let down.I could not believe the MM's car was just being left there to rot in the elements.Anywhere else it owuld be in a glass case where the environment would be designed to ensure that there was no decay. I don't know how long it will last.
Funnily I just read a paper where the Lagos State Governor was bemoaning the lack of funds in the state to really maintain its infrastructre and I have to say that Tourism is obviously one of the areas that he has not looked at exploiting.
@anonymous - based on your comment I went to speak to my dad to find out what had happened to our house in Abeokuta where we are from. He had sold it some years back as neither he nor his kids was spending any time there. However you have still motivated me to take the kids there to see where their heritage lies.Thanks
@ONB - you must let us know wen you are coming next oh so we can make the necessary VIP arrangements.
Bless your soul for striving to imbibe Nigerianness in your kiddies. I can't wait to get married and have kids. I definitely would do the same.
Funny, I always try to make my trips to Nigeria work and sight-seeing but it's hard when you don't have your personal car and driver just cause you don't know where to begin.
I did go to the zoo in Abuja, it wasn't great but it wasn't bad, you should take your kiddies there. Also go to the base of Aso rock. It's a spectacle. Some people live at the base. I cried inside because there was so much that could be done with it. Think Stone mountain in Atlanta...and cable cars and that sort of thing. Oh well.
once we had an Eck seminar there and as one of the volunteers, I had to work in sanitation...I broke down after. lugging buckets of water up and down was not good...
but that building is a jewel. I remember the first time I saw it. Because I did not grow up in Lagos, everytime we came, my dad made sure to drive by it and I would just stare and stare and stare and imagine the day I would get to have something performed on the inside....
*sniff*
First time here, interesting blog, good writing. I heard that 'they' were trying to auction off the National Theatre to their cronies.
Hello. This post is likeable, and your blog is very interesting, congratulations :-). I will add in my blogroll =). If possible gives a last there on my blog, it is about the Flores Online, I hope you enjoy. The address is http://flores-on-line.blogspot.com. A hug.
Well it,s rather unfortunate that the building is now in such a sorry state of affairs,maybe some of that inflated oil money coming in might be used for repairs.
Post a Comment