The reported developments surrounding Heritage Africa Village Square in Kado, Abuja, should concern everyone who believes that Nigeria’s cultural infrastructure is an essential part of national development.
Heritage Africa was not merely another commercial property. Established as a private cultural investment, the facility at Plot 1633, Cadastral Zone B09, Kado, was conceived as a major creative and cultural destination. Its facilities included an amphitheatre, exhibition spaces, a language institute, library and other components designed to support artistic and cultural activity. Its amphitheatre provided a substantial performance platform for theatre, dance, music, poetry, storytelling and other forms of live performance. (Punch Newspapers)
For the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP), this raises a larger question that goes beyond the immediate property issues now being reported in Kado: What happens to Nigeria’s cultural assets when the commercial or administrative circumstances surrounding them change?
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