Olu Jacobs Buried in Lagos After Decades of Service to Nigerian Cinema

Nollywood veteran Olu Jacobs has been buried in Lagos after a funeral ceremony attended by members of his family, friends, colleagues and leading figures in Nigeria’s entertainment industry.

The Friday funeral service was held at the Freedom Centre in Lekki, where mourners gathered to celebrate the life and legacy of the acclaimed actor.

Jacobs died in September at the age of 82 after a career spanning several decades. He was widely recognised as one of the most respected actors to emerge from Nigeria.

The ceremony was attended by Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat and former Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun.

The Nollywood community was also represented by notable personalities, including Shaffy Bello, Keppy Ekpeyong, Stan Nze, Morayo Afolabi-Brown, Ireti Doyle, Lala Akindoju, Kate Henshaw, OC Ukeje, Patrick Doyle, Stephanie Okereke and Ernest Obi.

The burial followed a night of tributes and a service of songs on Wednesday, during which Jacobs’ career and contributions to Nigerian entertainment were celebrated.

Born in 1942 to parents from Egba Alake, Jacobs grew up in Kano and attended Holy Trinity School.

His interest in the performing arts was sparked after he watched a Hubert Ogunde concert party performance at the Colonial Hotel in Kano. He later travelled to England, where he received formal acting training at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

His stage career began in the 1970s. In 1972, he appeared as The Boy in A Taste of Honey at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre.

He went on to feature in British television productions such as The Goodies, Till Death Us Do Part and Barlow at Large.

In 1978, he took on the role of President Mageeba in Michael Codron’s presentation of Sir Tom Stoppard’s Night and Day.

After returning to Nigeria in 1990, Jacobs appeared in the NTA detective series The Third Eye. He subsequently became one of the prominent actors in Nigeria’s emerging Nollywood industry.

Throughout his career, Jacobs appeared in hundreds of films and became known for his acclaimed performances across Nigerian cinema.

His contributions to the industry earned him several major honours, including the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2021 Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) and an Icon Award from the Audio-Visual Rights Society of Nigeria (AVRS) in 2022.

He was also honoured at the 2023 AMVCA with the Industry Merit Award for his outstanding contribution to acting.

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