Olu Jacobs Laid to Rest in Lagos as Nollywood Bids Farewell to Acting Legend

Nigerian entertainment has said its final farewell to veteran actor Oludotun Baiyewun Jacobs, popularly known as Olu Jacobs, who was laid to rest in Lagos on Friday after a funeral service attended by family members, friends, government officials and leading figures from Nollywood.

The funeral service was held at This Present House Church on Freedom Way, Lekki, before Jacobs' remains were taken to a private cemetery for burial. The ceremony brought together members of the film and theatre communities who came to honour an actor whose career stretched across more than five decades.

Jacobs' widow and fellow veteran actress Joke Silva, alongside their children, was present at the service. Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, First Lady Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu and former Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun were among the dignitaries who attended.

The service followed a Night of Tributes and Service of Songs held on Wednesday at Glover Memorial Hall on Lagos Island, where actors, filmmakers and other members of the creative community reflected on Jacobs' life and career. Among those who attended the tribute were Richard Mofe-Damijo, Sola Sobowale, Funke Akindele, Jide Kosoko, Adebayo Salami, Kate Henshaw, Desmond Elliot and other established names in Nigerian film.

Music and personal recollections formed part of Friday's farewell. Singer and entertainment entrepreneur Dare Art Alade performed Pray for Me, a song associated with Jacobs and Silva, while Jacobs' son Olugbenga presented his father's biography during the proceedings. The performances and tributes brought a more personal dimension to a ceremony largely centred on celebrating the actor's contribution to Nigerian entertainment.

Jacobs died on September 16, 2026, at the age of 84. His death brought an end to the life of one of Nigeria's most recognisable actors, whose work extended from stage productions and British television to the Nigerian film industry.

Born on July 11, 1942, Jacobs trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and built an early career in British theatre and television before returning to Nigeria. His credits included appearances in British productions such as The Goodies, Till Death Us Do Part, The Professionals and The Tomorrow People.

His later career became closely associated with the development of Nollywood. Jacobs became particularly recognisable for authoritative roles, including traditional rulers, chiefs, fathers and other influential characters, but his contribution extended beyond acting. Together with Joke Silva, he co-founded Lufodo Group and the Lufodo Academy of Performing Arts, creating an institutional platform for training and professional development in the performing arts.

The breadth of the tributes in Lagos reflected that wider influence. Colleagues from different generations of Nigerian entertainment attended the ceremonies, including actors who worked alongside Jacobs and younger performers who came through an industry he helped shape. The presence of government officials and the Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy at the preceding tribute also reflected the public significance attached to his career.

For many in Nollywood, Jacobs represented a link between Nigeria's theatre tradition, early television productions and the global growth of its film industry. His career demonstrated how an actor could move between stage, television and cinema while maintaining a distinctive presence across generations of audiences.

His death and burial therefore mark more than the end of a celebrated acting career. They close the life of a performer whose work became part of Nigeria's cultural memory and whose professional partnership with Joke Silva extended into arts education and production. As Nollywood continues to expand internationally, the farewell to Olu Jacobs also serves as a reminder of the generation of performers whose craft, discipline and long careers helped establish the foundations on which today's Nigerian screen industry continues to build.