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Lagos Nigeria, 5th September 2024 | The Lagos International Theatre Festival (LITF) is set to debut this November 2024, bringing together a remarkable assembly of creative talents from across the globe. Organized by the iconic Bolanle Austen-Peters in partnership with Lagos State, the maiden edition of LITF aims to build a thriving community for thespians, enhancing excellence and promoting sustainability within the creative industry. The renowned theatre director, producer, and award-winning filmmaker is spearheading the festival alongside top corporate leaders like First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Dorman long Engineering, Amstel Malta and The Wole Soyinka Theatre.
Speaking on the launch, she said, “The creative industry is at the heart of every nation that thrives, and Nigeria is especially blessed with imaginative creativity and abundant talents. This is what God has blessed us with—the only resource that is infinite. It is important for us to provide a platform where our creatives can explore, tell our stories, and export our positive philosophies and values to the world. This is why we are launching the Lagos International Theatre Festival.”
The festival, scheduled to take place from November 15th to 17th, 2024, will unfold across four prominent venues in Lagos: The National Theatre (Wole Soyinka Theatre), Terra Kulture, Muson Centre, and John Randle Centre. This is to ensure that attendees experience a diverse lineup of performances, including musicals, skits, and theatre repertory, reflecting the richness of African culture and storytelling.
Lagos State Government a lead sponsor of the Lagos International Theatre Festival (LITF), proudly supports the arts and culture that thrive within its borders. According to The Honourable Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Toke Benson-Awoyinka, “Today, we celebrate the vibrant cultural heritage and artistic spirit that make our state truly special. This theatre festival not only showcases the incredible talent of our local performers, directors, and playwrights but also brings our communities together in a shared experience of storytelling and creativity. Theatre has the power to inspire, to challenge, and to connect us, reminding us of our shared humanity.”
FirstBank- A bank of many Firsts is the lead bank sponsor of the maiden edition of LITF, under its First@arts initiative. The bank’s involvement underscores its commitment to youth development within the arts, a strategic objective that aligns with its broader mission to empower and uplift Nigeria’s creative industry. The Group Head Marketing & Corporate Communications at FirstBank, Folake Ani-Mumuney said “We are delighted to be a part of this edition of the Lagos International Theatre Festival. This partnership avails us the opportunity to contribute to nation building and support the entire creative arts value chain. Through such platforms as LITF, we continue to enable the next generation of creative giants to thrive and reach their full potentials.”
The Lagos International Theatre Festival promises a celebration of creativity and diversity, featuring performances from both local and international artists. The festival’s advisory and governing boards comprise notable figures such as Joke Silva, Femi Elufowoju Jr., Chioma Ude, Jahman Anikulapo, Israel Eboh, Samuel Perry, Kehinde Bankole, Osas Ighodaro, John Momoh, Karl Toriola, Yemi Idowu, Ron Kunene, Ladi Chinede, Donald Duke, and Yewande Zaccheus ensuring a world-class event that will captivate audiences and foster a deeper appreciation for the arts.
In addition to the main performances, the festival will offer workshops, masterclasses, and panel discussions led by seasoned professionals. These sessions will provide invaluable learning opportunities for aspiring artists and practitioners. Attendees will also have the chance to explore a vibrant marketplace featuring theatre-related merchandise.
LITF 2024 promises to be an unforgettable experience, bringing together theatre enthusiasts, performers, and culture lovers for a weekend of inspiration and entertainment. Whether you are a seasoned theatregoer or simply seeking a unique cultural experience, this festival has something for everyone. Beyond the artistic showcase, LITF 2024 is poised to make a significant contribution to the local economy, driving growth in the creative industry, generating employment, and boosting tourism in Lagos state.
For further details about the festival, including the full schedule and ticket information, please visit our website at www.lagosinternationaltheatrefestival.ng
About FirstBank
First Bank of Nigeria Limited “FirstBank”, established in 1894, is the premier bank in West Africa, a leading financial inclusion services provider in Africa, and a digital banking giant.
FirstBank’s international footprints cut across three continents ─ Africa, Europe and Asia, with FirstBank UK Limited in London and Paris; FirstBank in The Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, The Gambia, Guinea and Sierra Leone; FBNBank in Senegal; and a FirstBank Representative Office in Beijing, China. All the subsidiary banks are fully registered by their respective Central Banks to provide full banking services.
Besides providing domestic banking services, the subsidiaries also engage in international cross-border transactions with FirstBank’s non-Nigerian subsidiaries, and the representative offices in Paris and China facilitate trade flows from Asia and Europe into Nigeria and other African countries.
For over 130 years, FirstBank has built an outstanding reputation for solid relationships, good corporate governance, and a strong liquidity position, and has been at the forefront of promoting digital payment in the country with over 13 million cards issued to customers (the first bank to achieve such a milestone in Nigeria). FirstBank has continued to make significant investments in technology, innovation and transformation, and its cashless transaction drive has been steadily accentuated with virtually 23 million active FirstBank customers signed up on digital channels including the USSD Quick Banking service through the nationally renowned *894# Banking code.
With over 42 million customer accounts (including digital wallets) spread across Nigeria, UK and sub-Saharan Africa, the Bank provides a comprehensive range of retail and wholesale financial services through more than 820 business offices and over 243,400 agent locations spread across 772 out of the 774 Local Government Areas in Nigeria.
In addition to banking solutions and services, FirstBank provides pension fund custody services in Nigeria through First Pension Custodian Nigeria Limited and nominee and associated services through First Nominees Nigeria Limited.
FirstBank’s commitment to Diversity is shown in its policies, partnerships and initiatives such as its employees’ ratio of female to male (about 39%:61%; and 32% women in management) as well as the FirstBank Women Network, an initiative that seeks to address the gender gap and increase the participation of women at all levels within the organisation. In addition, the Bank’s membership of the UN Women is an affirmation of a deliberate policy that is consistent with UN Women’s Women Empowerment’s Principles (WEPs) ─ Equal Opportunity, Inclusion, and Non-discrimination.
For six consecutive years (2011 – 2016), FirstBank was named “Most Valuable Bank Brand in Nigeria” by the globally renowned The Banker Magazine of the Financial Times Group and “Best Retail Bank in Nigeria” eight times in a row, 2011 – 2018, by the Asian Banker International Excellence in Retail Financial Services Awards.
In 2023, FirstBank received notable awards including “Best Private Bank for Sustainable Investing in Africa 2023” by Global Finance Awards; “Best Sustainable Bank in Nigeria 2023” by International Investors Awards; “Best Bespoke Banking Services in Nigeria 2023” by International Investors Awards; “Best Financial Inclusion Service Provider in Nigeria 2023” by Digital Banker Africa; and “African Bank of the Year” by African Leadership Magazine; ’’Best Corporate Bank in Nigeria 2023’’ by Euromoney Awards and ‘’Most Innovative Banking Brand – Nigeria 2023’’ by Global Brands Award.
Significantly, FirstBank’s Global Credit Rating was A+ with a positive outlook while ratings by Fitch and Standard & Poor’s were A (nga) and ngBBB+ respectively both with Stable outlooks as at September 2023. FirstBank maintained the same level of international credit ratings as the sovereign; a milestone that was achieved in 2022 for the first time since 2015.
FirstBank continued to gain wide acclaim on the global stage with several international awards and recognitions received so far in 2024. Some of these include Nigeria’s Best Bank for ESG 2024 and Nigeria’s Best Bank for Corporates 2024 both awarded by Euromoney Awards for Excellence; Best SME Bank in Africa and in Nigeria by The Asian Banker Global Awards; Best Private Bank in Nigeria and Best Private Bank for Sustainable Investing in Africa by Global Finance Awards; Best Corporate Bank in Nigeria 2024, Best CSR Bank in Nigeria 2024, Best Retail Bank in Nigeria 2024, Best SME Bank in Nigeria 2024 and Best Private Bank in Nigeria 2024 all awarded by the Global Banking and Finance Awards.
Our vision is “To be Africa’s Bank of first choice” and our mission is “To remain true to our name by providing the best financial services possible”. This commitment is anchored on our core values of EPIC – Entrepreneurship, Professionalism, Innovation and Customer-Centricity. Our strategic ambition is “To deliver accelerated growth in profitability through customer-led innovation and disciplined execution” and our brand promise is always to deliver the ultimate “gold standard” of value and excellence to position You First in every respect.
