Nollywood Bids Farewell to Olu Jacobs as Stars Share Tributes at Lagos Memorial

The final burial rites for veteran Nollywood actor Olu Jacobs began in Lagos on Wednesday evening, with solemn hymns, musical performances, heartfelt tributes, and humorous recollections celebrating the life and decades-long career of one of Nigerian cinema's most revered figures.

His wife, veteran actress Joke Silva, attended the gathering dressed in grey lace, alongside their sons, Gbenga and Soji, who wore traditional white agbada. The event drew several of Nollywood's most celebrated actors, industry veterans, and government officials, including Sola Sobowale, Ahmed Yerima, Norbert Young, Kate Henshaw, Hilda Dokubo, Richard Mofe-Damijo, and Desmond Elliot. The Minister of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, was also among the dignitaries present.

Opening the tributes, Jacobs's son Soji shared intimate reflections on growing up alongside a towering public figure who nonetheless remained, first and foremost, a father to his children. "I didn't really watch his films back then. For me, he was simply Dad. We were very close because he was magnetic and genuine in his movement," Soji said, adding that despite the industry's deep affection for his father, Jacobs always drew a firm line between his public career and his family life, protecting their privacy fiercely.

Colleagues spanning several decades of Nigerian theatre and television took turns recounting their shared history with the man fondly remembered as the "Lion of Lufodo." Actor Norbert Young reflected on their years working together on the iconic 1980s detective series "Third Eye," crediting Jacobs's discipline and mentorship for shaping his own acting career. "He loved to talk back then, and I loved to listen. I became the actor I am today from listening to him at least once a week during the time we shot 'Third Eye,'" Young said.

Playwright and scholar Ahmed Yerima brought warmth and laughter to the otherwise solemn occasion, recalling the intensity Jacobs brought to every role he took on. "The only time I forgot the lines in my own play was when Uncle Olu and I were playing a scene, and he started crying. I was like, 'I never remembered writing tears into this scene.' But he made that moment unforgettable," Yerima said.

Actresses Hilda Dokubo and Kate Henshaw focused their tributes on Jacobs's paternal nature behind the scenes, recalling the quiet ways he looked out for cast and crew members during long productions. Dokubo described being starstruck the first time she worked alongside Jacobs and Silva, recalling how he calmed her nerves during an early scene together. Henshaw remembered his habitual thoughtfulness and generosity on set, recounting an occasion when the cast was nearly stranded on a remote location and Jacobs produced snacks and supplies from his bag to see everyone through.

For many of Nollywood's most celebrated figures, Jacobs represented more than simply a colleague; he stood as a benchmark of excellence whose validation could define or launch a career. Sola Sobowale recalled a moment early in her career when Jacobs publicly praised her talent before a room of peers, a moment she said fundamentally changed her confidence and trajectory as an actor. Richard Mofe-Damijo similarly expressed deep gratitude for Jacobs's personal mentorship, recounting a lesson about humility and focus that Jacobs had shared with him, one he said has stayed with him throughout his career: "There are no small actors, and there are no small lines. But if you are not mindful of the small lines, you will become a small actor."

The evening of memories closed with a soulful, piano-assisted performance from singer Yinka Davies, offering a harmonious farewell to a figure widely regarded as a giant of Nigerian and African cinema, whose influence spanned generations of actors, directors, and playwrights across the country's film and theatre industry.

Olu Jacobs, born in 1942, built a career spanning more than five decades across Nigerian theatre, television, and film, becoming one of the most recognisable and respected figures in Nollywood's history before his death earlier this year.