Culture edifice in darkness over N20 m electricity debt
For the most part of 30 years in which Nigeria’ s foremost culture edifice , National Theatre , has been in comatose , government has lost over N300 billion .
The 5 , 000 - capacity main bowl has not been put to use since 1992 due to structural errors . The other halls run skeletal services at best , with most of them as non - cultural or artistic events . Organisers of artistic events have since shifted to other well- maintained venues .
The government has continued to incur overhead costs in terms of salaries of staff of both the National Troupe of Nigeria and the National Theatre . “ A source close to the operations at the facility put the overhead expenses on the National Theatre within the last one year (although not regular ) at N18 million monthly , and N4 million for National Troupe of Nigeria. This has , however, stopped to be regular in the last two years , but whenever it comes , the two establishments get that much ,” the source disclosed .
In spite of the monthly allocations and monies collected from the few event organisers and patrons , the edifice has been in total darkness for most part of 2017. It is currently experiencing a blackout because it owes N20 million electricity supply debts .
Notable filmmaker , Chief Eddie Ugbomah , has accused managers of the theatre of incompetence for running down the prime venue where he screened his celluloid films alongside Chief Herbert Ogunde and Dr . Ola Balogun in the 1980s and early 1990 s .
The main bowl, Ugbomah disclosed, has lost close to N90 billion in about 30 years while the other halls also lost another N200 billion in 18 years . He based his estimates on what he and the late Yoruba film doyen , Ogunde , and Balogun , used to rake in at most weekends for showing their celluloid films . He said while Ogunde , whose Yoruba language films were very popular , made about N5 million most weekends, he ( Ugbomah ) made about N3 million with his English films like The Death of a Black President , Oyenusi and Black Gold .
Ugbomah noted that the theatre has more halls than any event centre in the country and if well managed , revenues from them could be used to sustain it with reserves sent to government ’s coffers .
“ There is the exhibition hall , two cinema halls, the banquet hall , the VIP hall , and the 5, 000 -seater main bowl, ” Ugbomah said . “No other venue in Nigeria has this capacity . The main bowl also has a revolving stage , which is rare to come by in most event centres , and this stage has not been used in the past 30 years . Imagine how much money government would be making if 5, 000 people pay at least N500 to watch a film or play that would be shown thrice or four times a day ?”
Another filmmaker and first president of National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP ) , Mr . Mahmoud Ali -Balogun ( producer of Tangle with Me ) , spoke in agreement with Ugbomah , but said the financial loss at the National Theatre was unquantifiable given the resurgence in the cinema- going tradition in the past few years in the country .
Mo Abudu’ s The Wedding Party grossed N200 million in just 16 days of four weekends in box office earnings in cinema halls that seat only 100 people at a time . Also, AY ’ s (Ayo Makun ) A Trip to Jamaica earned N 168 million in less than four weekends. The two cinema halls at the National Theatre seat well over 500 people each at the same time , the exhibition hall well over 800 people .
Ali -Balogun spoke further : “Earnings from cinemas are just one aspect of what can be done with the National Theatre . If you look at what is being done at Terra Kulture , FilmOne House, Silverbird Galleria, and Genesis in terms of raising revenues , I will say National Theatre ’ s loss is too much , too unquantifiable , and it ’s a shame . The National Theatre is like a cultural headquarters . It is a place where you can have exhibitions like fine arts , film shows like cinemas, plays performed and corporate AGMs . Do you know the kind of affinity artists have for that place ? But it ’s being left fallow right now. It’ s just unfortunate. I believe that things have to change . What is responsible for this I don ’t know , but I know government is making efforts to make it work. ”
Ali -Balogun who said he was not pointing fingers , insisted that something was wrong somewhere : “Why are our national monuments so cursed in terms of functionality ? Look at the National Stadiums in Lagos and Abuja , It’ s unfortunate. I can ’t put a finger to what the exact losses are , but it is huge . It’ s not just revenue loss , but employment . When the place is functioning , it ’ s not just the ministry people I ’ m talking about . I’ m talking about all categories of artists , who should be working there; it was our workplace in those days .”
The General Manager of Terra Kulture , Mr . Joseph Umoibom , noted a lot of cultural events like the All Africa Music Awards ( AFRIMA ) , held last Sunday , could have been staged at the theatre but for its poor management. Eko Hotel hosted AFRIMA instead . Terra Kulture Arena Theatre , which opened as an interventionist theatre space last year, was largely in response to the National Theatre ’s continuing failing as Nigeria’ s cultural hotspot .
“ Eko Hotel charges N8million to N10 million a day , ” Umoibom noted . “ Even if National Theatre is a little cheaper , it can ’ t charge less than N5 million per day . In other words, the National Theatre can ’ t make less than N20 million on a weekend . A lot of other earnings can be made on the sides from food vending around the theatre and the car park. So, you really can ’ t quantify what is being lost at the theatre . People are being paid for doing nothing in that place , when they are sitting on money .”