National Theatre retractable stage will soon be useful again, after 20 years
But the new management of the National Theater, led by the General Manger, Kabiru Yusuf, is trying to turn around the fortunes of the edifice and make it a profit-making facility once more and has committed resources to renovate the theatre. Hosting a delegation from the Amalgamated Unions of Public Corporation, Government Services, Technical and […]
But the new management of the National Theater, led by the General Manger, Kabiru Yusuf, is trying to turn around the fortunes of the edifice and make it a profit-making facility once more and has committed resources to renovate the theatre.
Hosting a delegation from the Amalgamated Unions of Public Corporation, Government Services, Technical and Recreational Service Employees (AUPCTRE) who visited him recently, the GM assured them that Nigerians would soon watch live shows in the hall before the end of the year.
He said talks were ongoing with three firms on the possibility of partnership to put the facility on a proper footing. Our correspondent confirmed that of renovation of some facilities was going on at the National Theatre.
“The biggest challenge seems to be how to fix the airconditioners and upgrading the facilities, much of which have become obsolete over time,” a reliable source informed our correspondent.
Apart from the arena, renovation work is being undertaken on the cinema halls (I and II), exhibition hall II and all five access gates into the theatre, the source said. There are also plans for a state of the art dance studio.Our correspondent also gathered that talks are ongoing with a private firm to convert the offensive canal around the theatre to a leisure and recreation spot.
With the current efforts at restoring the national theatre to its past glory, the much talked about privatization appears to have been rested for now. In a widely criticized move, former president Olusegun Obasanjo, had marked the facility for privatization, but the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE) has not been able to sell it.
However, an investigation by Sunday Trust revealed that artistes who had been using the theatre for free may be required to pay a significant fee daily for the use of the facility, in a bid to generate more revenue.