National Troupe of Nigeria

National Troupe of Nigeria
Name	National Troupe of Nigeria
Founded	1973
Founder	Olusegun Obasanjo administration
Headquarters	Lagos, Abuja
Country	Nigeria
Genre	Theatre of Nigeria, Nigerian music

National Troupe of Nigeria is the federal performing arts company established to showcase Nigerian cultural heritage through music, dance, drama, and masquerade arts. Created under the Olusegun Obasanjo administration with support from ministries and cultural institutions, the ensemble has toured nationally and internationally, appearing at festivals and diplomatic events tied to United Nations programmes, Commonwealth Games, and bilateral exchanges. The troupe operates within Nigeria’s arts ecosystem alongside institutions such as the National Theatre, Nigeria, Muson Centre, and regional companies like the Akan Theatre Project.

History

The troupe traces origins to post-independence cultural policy initiatives influenced by figures like Nnamdi Azikiwe, Ahmadu Bello, and Festac '77 planners, and was formally organized during the Shehu Shagari and Murtala Muhammed eras with patronage from the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture (Nigeria). Early ensembles recruited performers from regional companies including Ogun State Arts Council, Ekiti Cultural Troupe, Tiv Masquerade Troupe, and theatre practitioners trained at University of Ibadan and University of Lagos. International tours linked the troupe with festivals such as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Festival d'Avignon, Carnegie Hall events, and cultural exchanges with the British Council, Alliance Française, and UNESCO. Over decades the troupe adapted through political transitions involving administrations of Muhammadu Buhari, Goodluck Jonathan, and Olusegun Obasanjo, surviving funding challenges, restructurings, and collaborations with state arts councils like the Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.

Mandate and Organization

The troupe’s mandate was established by national cultural legislation and policy instruments shaped by actors such as the National Arts Theatre administration and policy advisers from UNESCO and the Commonwealth Secretariat, to preserve and promote intangible heritage from regions including Yorubaland, Igboland, Hausa-Fulani areas, and the Middle Belt. Organizationally it comprises administrative units influenced by models at the British Council and Smithsonian Institution: artistic directorates, touring companies, costume and music workshops, and outreach cells tied to state cultural offices like the Enugu State Ministry of Culture and Rivers State Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Funding streams have included allocations from the Federal Ministry of Finance (Nigeria), grants from international partners such as the Ford Foundation and British Council, and ticket revenues from venues like the National Arts Theatre and Muson Centre.

Repertoire and Performances

Repertoire blends traditional forms—Bata drumming, Egungun masquerade, Atilogwu dance, and Eyo festival pageantry—with contemporary theatre pieces drawing on scripts associated with playwrights and works like Wole Soyinka plays, Femi Osofisan adaptations, and productions referencing Chinua Achebe narratives. The troupe has staged festival productions at venues including the Edinburgh Festival, Festival d'Avignon, Montreux Jazz Festival, and performed at diplomatic settings with delegations from United Kingdom, United States, France, China, and India. Collaborations have involved choreographers and composers connected to institutions like the National Theatre School of Canada, Juilliard School, Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and performing artists affiliated with the Muson Centre and Nigerian Film Corporation. Repertoire often incorporates costumes and props produced in workshops influenced by textile traditions from Oyo, Igbo-Ukwu, Kano, and Benin City craft centers.

Training and Education

Training programs draw on pedagogies from the University of Ibadan Department of Theatre Arts, University of Port Harcourt performing arts curricula, and international residencies sponsored by the British Council and UNESCO. Workshops cover vocal techniques related to Hausa praise-song traditions, drumming methods from Yoruba masters, and movement vocabularies rooted in Igbo masquerade practices, often led by master artists linked to institutions such as the National Institute for Cultural Orientation and conservatories modeled after the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Techniques du Théâtre. Apprenticeship schemes mirror crafts training at the National Gallery of Art (Nigeria) and volunteer exchanges with ensembles like the Nigeria National Symphony Orchestra and state theatre companies.

Notable Members and Leadership

Leadership over time has featured directors and artistic leads drawn from the circle of prominent cultural figures including administrators, choreographers, and dramatists who also worked with Wole Soyinka, Fela Kuti, Chinua Achebe, and Babatunde Olatunji-style percussionists. Performers and alumni have included dancers, actors, and musicians who later affiliated with the Nollywood film industry, the Afrobeat movement, and academic posts at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ahmadu Bello University, and University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Guest collaborators have included visiting artists connected to Peter Brook, John Cage, Merce Cunningham, and exchange partners such as the Royal Shakespeare Company and La Comédie-Française.

Cultural Impact and Reception

The troupe has influenced national identity debates alongside cultural figures like Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka by shaping international perceptions of Nigerian arts at events including Festac '77 and Commonwealth cultural programmes, and by contributing to tourism initiatives in states like Lagos State and Cross River State. Critics, scholars, and reviewers from outlets associated with institutions such as The Guardian (Nigeria), BBC Afrika, Le Monde, and academic journals published by University of Ibadan Press have assessed its role in heritage preservation, modernization of performance forms, and cultural diplomacy with partners like the British Council and UNESCO. The troupe’s legacy endures in curricula at Nigeria’s universities and in community troupes across regions such as Ondo State, Kano State, and Enugu State.

Category:Theatre companies of Nigeria