Nigerian Theatre Industry at Risk of Collapse Without Government Support, NATAP President Warns

Nigeria’s theatre industry risks losing its role in training actors and preserving the country’s performing arts heritage unless the government introduces deliberate policies and invests in sustainable structures, the President of the National Association of Theatre Arts Practitioners (NATAP), Makinde Adeniran, has warned.

Adeniran said theatre remained the foundation of professional acting and creative development, stressing that neglecting the sector could weaken the entire entertainment industry, including Nollywood. He described the stage as a training ground where performers develop their skills, improve their craft and explore different approaches to acting.

Speaking during an interview with ARISE NEWS on Sunday, the NATAP president argued that film productions alone could not provide actors with the same opportunities for professional development as live theatre.

“For every performative arts, the theatre is a laboratory. You don’t take care of it, the ecosystem will fall,” he said.

He explained that film directors often concentrate on specific aspects of an actor’s performance, limiting the opportunity for performers to fully explore their abilities. According to him, theatre provides actors with the freedom and experience needed to develop and reinvent themselves, regardless of their level of success in the film industry.

Adeniran also criticised the lack of consistent government policies for Nigeria’s creative economy, saying successive administrations had placed too much emphasis on individual projects and infrastructure without creating systems capable of sustaining the industry. He maintained that simply building facilities or releasing funds would not solve the sector’s problems without proper structures to manage investments.

The NATAP president called for a clearer definition of the creative economy, arguing that its different sectors required specific policies and development plans. He warned that some government-backed initiatives appeared to serve individual interests rather than deliver lasting benefits to the country, urging policymakers to focus on projects with measurable national value.

He further expressed concern over the poor preservation of theatrical productions, warning that many performances disappear without proper documentation or records for future generations. Adeniran said experienced practitioners had a responsibility to guide younger entrants and help them avoid the challenges that affected previous generations of theatre professionals.

Reflecting on the industry’s history, he identified the 1986 Agiofest festival as an important event that helped inspire the formation of NATAP. The festival brought four Nigerian plays to the National Theatre and created an opportunity for young practitioners to recognise the need for a unified association to protect their interests. Adeniran said the event also helped restore activity to the National Theatre, which he described as lacking sufficient content after its initial opening.

He added that NATAP would continue engaging policymakers and organising annual gatherings to address the challenges facing the industry. The proposed 40th anniversary reunion of Agiofest, he said, could provide an opportunity for practitioners to review the sector’s current condition, develop shared positions and establish the festival as a platform for sustained conversations and policy advocacy.