Excitement as Lagos hands over Glover Hall to Olu, Joke Jacobs’ theatre company
The Lagos State Government, on Thursday, handed over the management of the iconic Glover Memorial Hall to Lufodo, a theatre and film production company founded by Olu and Joke Jacobs.
The Glover Memorial Hall (GMH) is a heritage building for theatre and performing arts in Lagos. It was built in 1887 in honour of the second governor of Lagos Colony, Sir John Hawley Glover. It was, in 1903, the first to host the public screening of a film in Nigeria.
After a rigorous bidding process for the concession to manage GMH, Lufodo won, and on Thursday, the Commissioner of Tourism, Arts & Culture, Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf, along with the Permanent Secretary, Adenike Adedoyin-Ajayi, and Director of Theatre, Mr Ogunsote, handed over the management of the hall to Lufudo.
Speaking during the short hand-over ceremony, the Commissioner for Tourism, Arts, and Culture said Lufodo Productions was appointed due to its expertise, envisaging that the organisation would further enhance the visibility and viability of the hall.
Lufodo in partnership with Ciuciconsulting – a leading consulting and operations management firm – will manage GMH for the next five years.
This partnership will have both Mrs. Jacobs and Ifeoma Monye as co-CEOs. Mrs Jacobs will be in charge of artistic direction and Ms Ononye, operations.
Also, a new board has been established with Gbenga Oyebode as the Chairman.
The board members include Taiwo Taiwo, Ms Silva, Tony Rapu, Soji Jacobs, Ifeoma Monye, and Amina Abubakar Bello.
Speaking at the event, Ms Jacobs thanked the Lagos State government for its trust in Lufodo and assured that the trust has not and will not be misplaced.
Ms Monye, a partner at Ciuciconsulting, said, “This handover is symbolic and shows that Lagos State is interested in the development of the performing arts industry. With more Public-Private Partnerships, there is no limit to the growth that the great state and nation will experience.”
The 1000-capacity Glover Memorial Hall was refurbished by the project contractor, Sustainable Procurement Services Ltd, and handed over to the Lagos State Government in March 2021. Premium Times
