National Theatre still Nigeria’s foremost cultural, tourism identity, says Queen Moremi

Maiden Queen Moremi of Ile- Ife, Miss Blessing Animasahun, has described the National Theatre in Lagos as Nigeria’s foremost cultural and tourism identity which must be preserved and maintained by successive administrations.

Animasahun, the 2016 winner of Moremi Ajasoro Beauty Pageant, the first ever regional and cultural beauty pageant in the world, said his during an interactive session with our reporter.

She said that the complex, one of the best iconic sites in the world, had remained a unique reference point that most international visitors and tourists always loved and look forward to visit anytime they were in the country.

“The National Theatre is an embodiment of Nigeria’s national identity as it symbolizes the diverse cultures, tribes, religions and traditions of Nigerians.

“That is why we must preserve it for generations yet unborn to appreciate,” she said.

These are some of the reasons why successive governments must continue to maintain and preserve it and give it more publicity to boost its patronage, she said.

According to her, the National Theatre still ranks among the best in the world based on what I saw during my international tours of some countries in the past eight months of my tenure as the maiden Queen Moremi.

She said that one needed to visit he interiors of the edifice to appreciate and discover the architectural masterpiece and the magnitude of its beauty.

She said that she never knew that there were iconic monuments within the edifice until she visited the place during the Africa Fashion show organized by Princess Ronke Ademiluyi of the African Fashionshow Week Nigeria /London (AFWNL).

Queen Moremi advised the management of the complex to embark on more publicity for it before the outside world.

“Our National Theatre has all it takes in terms of facilities and ambience to compete with its peers the world over.’’

She also advised the management of the edifice to beef-up security around it; give it regular facelift and keep its entire surroundings neat.

The queen said that the complex would be attractive to local and foreign visitors when all these were in place.

Animasahun, who also is a student-union activist at the University of Ibadan, urged the government to provide funds to the management of the theatre to improve on its infrastructure and the environment.

“We must cherish what we have because we will not value the importance of the edifice and icon until we lose it. We must not do anything that will make us lose it.

“If we do not preserve our treasures such as the National Theatre and others, no one will do it for us,” she said.

She appreciated Princess Ronke Ademuluyi for choosing the National Theatre as the venue for her last fashion show organised by the African Fashion show WeekNigeria/London(AFWNL).

She described the show as an effort by an individual to promote and publicise the complex before local and international fashion designers and exhibitors that attended the event.

“Ademuluyi’s vision of using the national theatre is to advertise the country’s iconic site internationally so that it can boost our tourism sector.

“I appeal to other individuals and corporate organizations to emulate her nationalism and patriotism by patronising our National Theatre for their events,” she said.

According to her, the idea behind the re-creation of the legendary Queen Moremi is to boost our traditional values and further recreate the legacies left behind by the original and the legendary Moremi in Ile-Ife during her lifetime.

“The legendary Moremi was a virtuous woman, patriotic, heroic, courage, honest, selflessness, love and an ambassador of peaceful coexistence.

“She sacrificed her only child, Oluorogbo, to the goddess of “Esimirin’’ River in the 12th Century.

“The goddess then gave her the strategy that the Ife warriors then used to conquer their enemies and liberated the people of the town.

“The vision of re-enacting Queen Moremi in contemporary times is to restore those values associated with the legendary Queen Moremi Ajasoro among our youths in general and girls in particular.

“A lot of morals have been lost, the new generation of women do not have much values for themselves any more, alien culture is at the verge of enveloping our treasured tradition,” she said.

Animasahun stressed that the Queen Moremi project was also meant to instill values of selflessness, courage and discipline among youths, especially girls, in Nigeria and beyond.

It was reported that the maiden Queen Moremi, currently a 600-level-Dental-Surgery student of the University of Ibadan was crowned by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, in 2016 in Ile-Ife having emerged the overall winner among 45 finalists during the final competition.

The contest featured charismatic queens who displayed different attributes of Moremi the great heroine and exhibited their individual potential.