03/10/2025
From a Vision to a Legacy: The Story of Jimmy Folorunso Atte
When you walk past the iconic dome of the National Theatre Lagos now beautifully renovated and renamed the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts itâs easy to marvel at the architecture, the lights, the buzz of performances.
But behind this landmark is the story of a man who helped give it a voice.
In 1991, when the National Theatre became a parastatal, Jimmy Folorunso Atte was appointed its very first General Manager & Chief Executive. It wasnât just a title, it was a calling.
Jimmy didnât see the Theatre as just a building; he saw it as a living, breathing heart of Nigeriaâs culture.
He gave it a motto still remembered today: âTHE VENUE MAKES THE EVENT.â For him, the space itself could elevate creativity, inspire audiences, and empower artists.
He laid the foundation that made the Theatre more than concrete and glass it became a home for Nigeriaâs storytellers, performers, and dreamers. He brought it visibility through programmes, publicity, and cultural engagement, ensuring that the Theatre wasnât silent, but alive with music, drama, festivals, and ideas.
Beyond his work at the National Theatre, Jimmy made a lasting mark on broadcasting as one of the most influential figures in the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). He served as Executive Director of Programmes and later Director of News the only person in NTA history to have headed both arms.
⢠He started News Extra at 9pm every Wednesday.
⢠He created Weekend File on Saturdays, giving Nigerians deeper insights into current affairs.
⢠As head of programmes, he took over production of Cockcrow at Dawn and Tales by Moonlight, cementing their place in our collective memory.
He was also popularly known as âJimmy the Jingleâ, because he produced some of Nigeriaâs most unforgettable jinglesâhigh-impact cultural soundbites that shaped public memory. Among them was the famous âAndrew, Iâm checking outâ campaign, along with jingles like âNigeria Go Betterâ, which carried messages of hope and national identity.
Many of the shows and jingles that defined our childhood carried his fingerprints, weaving culture, entertainment, and national values into a shared story.
More than an administrator, Jimmy was a broadcaster, producer, writer, and mentor. He poured himself into people guiding, supporting, and choosing integrity to remain rooted in culture.
Today, as the Theatre begins a new life in honour of Prof. Wole Soyinka, Jimmy Atteâs legacy reminds us that cultural institutions donât thrive because of buildings alone. They thrive because someone believed in their soul.
His story is a lesson: leadership in the arts is not just about managing spaces, itâs about inspiring people.
Hereâs to the visionaries like Jimmy Atte, the ones who build not just structures, but legacies.
