Theatre and National Identity Construction in Nigeria: Examining State-Sponsored Performance Institutions Since 2010

This study examines the role of state-sponsored performance institutions in constructing national identity in Nigeria, focusing on institutional activities, programming choices, and public communications since 2010. State-sponsored theatre institutions, including the National Troupe of Nigeria, the National Theatre complex, and state arts councils, operate as official cultural agents whose programming explicitly or implicitly articulates narratives of nationhood, unity, and cultural heritage. The research applies a critical discourse analysis methodology to institutional programme notes, policy documents, marketing materials, and performance repertoires, supplemented by interviews with institutional administrators and cultural policymakers. The study finds that state-sponsored institutions deploy a predominantly celebratory nationalist narrative that emphasises cultural unity and heritage across ethnic diversity, often at the expense of engaging with historical and contemporary sources of national conflict and fragmentation. The selection of performance repertoires reflects political priorities that favour ideologically safe material over critical or challenging dramatic content. The research fills a gap in existing scholarship on the relationship between cultural policy and national identity performance in Nigeria. The study concludes that state-sponsored theatre institutions occupy an ambiguous position as both cultural custodians and instruments of political legitimation. Keywords: national identity, state-sponsored theatre, cultural institutions, Nigerian performance, cultural policy.