The Nigerian film industry on Friday bade farewell to veteran actor Olu Jacobs as he was laid to rest in Lagos.
Family members, friends, colleagues, government officials and prominent figures in Nollywood gathered at the Freedom Centre in Lekki for a funeral service in honour of the late actor.
Among the dignitaries at the ceremony were Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat and former Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun.
Several Nollywood stars also attended the service, including Richard Mofe Damijo, Shaffy Bello, Keppy Ekpeyong, Stan Nze, Morayo Afolabi-Brown, Ireti Doyle, Lala Akindoju, Kate Henshaw, OC Ukeje, Patrick Doyle, Stephanie Okereke and Ernest Obi.
Jacobs died in September at the age of 82 after a career spanning more than five decades across theatre, television and film.
His burial followed a night of tributes and a service of songs held on Wednesday, where members of the entertainment industry celebrated his life and lasting contribution to Nigerian acting.
Born in 1942 to parents from Egba Alake, Jacobs grew up in Kano and attended Holy Trinity School.
His interest in acting was reportedly sparked after he watched a performance by Hubert Ogunde’s concert party at the Colonial Hotel in Kano.
He later travelled to England to pursue formal training in acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.
Jacobs began his stage career in the 1970s and appeared in several British productions. In 1972, he played The Boy in A Taste of Honey at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
He also featured in British television productions such as The Goodies, Till Death Us Do Part and Barlow at Large.
In 1978, he played President Mageeba in Michael Codron’s production of Sir Tom Stoppard’s Night and Day.
Jacobs returned to Nigeria in 1990 and featured in the NTA television detective series The Third Eye. He later became a prominent figure in Nollywood as the Nigerian film industry expanded.
Over the course of his career, he appeared in hundreds of films and became widely recognised for his work on stage and screen.
His achievements earned him several industry honours, including the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2021 Africa International Film Festival.
In 2022, the Audio-Visual Rights Society of Nigeria honoured him with an Icon Award, while he received the Industry Merit Award at the 2023 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards.
The funeral service provided an opportunity for the industry and admirers to celebrate the life and legacy of an actor whose career helped shape Nigeria’s contemporary theatre and film landscape.
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