Tomoloju to receive Legacy Award at 2026 Lagos International Theatre Festival
By Editor
VETERAN theatre practitioner, art critic and culture journalist Mr. Ben Tomoloju will receive the Lifetime Achievement and Legacy Award at the 2026 Lagos International Theatre Festival in recognition of his longstanding contribution to Nigerian theatre and the performing arts. The award will be presented at the festival’s opening night on Friday, November 13, at Shell Hall, MUSON Centre, Lagos, bringing together members of the arts community, industry stakeholders and other invited guests.
In a letter dated November 11, the festival’s founder and creative producer, Mrs Bolanle Austen-Peters, said the award was a recognition of Tomoloju’s years of dedication to the arts and the impact of his work on the development of theatre in Nigeria.
She noted that his artistic commitment and body of work had helped shape the country’s creative landscape, adding that the honour was intended to celebrate a career that had left a lasting mark on the performing arts.
“Your journey and contribution represent an important part of this legacy. Through this award, the Festival seeks to honour the impact of your work and recognise the value of a lifetime devoted to the arts,” Austen-Peters wrote.
She described theatre as an art form sustained not only by the stories presented on stage but also by the vision, discipline and commitment of the people behind its growth. Austen-Peters congratulated Tomoloju on the recognition and expressed the festival’s hope that he would be present to personally receive the award.
The recognition places Tomoloju among the theatre figures whose years of creative work and commitment have contributed to keeping Nigeria’s performing arts tradition alive. It also provides an opportunity for the industry to celebrate his contributions and acknowledge the value of a career dedicated to the arts.
