Founder and Creative Director of the Lagos International Theatre Festival, Bolanle Austin-Peters, has called for increased investment in Nigeria’s theatre industry, urging investors and property owners to provide more performance spaces to support the sector’s growth.
Austin-Peters said the industry needed more infrastructure, including theatres, conference venues and performance spaces, to accommodate its growing audience and create opportunities for young creative professionals.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE News on Saturday, she said investment in the Nigerian theatre industry remained limited, despite growing interest from financial institutions and international funders.
“Let’s use Theatre as a case study. I had to build the theatre myself and now we’re looking to expand that theatre. What is beautiful is that for the first time banks, international banks and funders are all lining up, literally lining up to say BAP, we want to give you money to do this.
“This was unimaginable 10, 15 years ago. Are we where we ought to be? No. Can more people get in? Yes.”
She said the expansion of theatrical infrastructure was necessary to sustain the sector’s growth, adding that Lagos needed more performance venues beyond the island.
“So our mantra, what we’re preaching now is we need more infrastructure for theatrical spaces, conference spaces, performance spaces. I know one or two that are coming up. We need more.
“Lagos is big and you can see the vibrancy of the sector. We need a lot more wherever it is, not only on the island.”
Austin-Peters also highlighted the potential of alternative performance venues, including restaurants, gardens and other public spaces, noting that Nigerian audiences increasingly preferred interactive theatre.
She said the growing demand for such performances was creating additional opportunities for theatre practitioners to earn a living beyond conventional stage productions.
“Now, these are people who hone their skills on stage. So the future is bright. We need more investors in the space.
“We need more infrastructure. And we need more people that will allow us access to maybe dilapidated buildings. Give it to us to use.
“All these buildings all over Lagos doing nothing. Let’s turn them into spaces where young people can congregate and use their creative mind to do something powerful.”
The theatre producer said making unused buildings available for creative activities would help address infrastructure gaps while providing young people with spaces to develop and showcase their talents.
She maintained that expanding investment and performance facilities would be essential to building a sustainable Nigerian theatre industry.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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