Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
Veteran Nollywood actor Olu Jacobs has been laid to rest in Lagos following a funeral service attended by family members, government officials, colleagues and admirers from across the entertainment industry.
The funeral ceremony was held on Friday at the Freedom Centre in Lekki, where tributes were paid to the celebrated actor whose career spanned several decades and helped shape Nigeria’s film industry.
Jacobs died in September at the age of 82, leaving behind a legacy that earned him recognition as one of the most respected figures in Nigerian cinema.
Among dignitaries present at the funeral were Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat and former Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun.
Several Nollywood stars also attended the service, 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 service of songs and a night of tributes held earlier in the week to celebrate the actor’s life, achievements and contributions to the entertainment industry.
Born in 1942 to parents from Egba Alake, Jacobs spent his early years in Kano, where his passion for acting was sparked after watching a performance by the Hubert Ogunde Concert Party.
He later moved to the United Kingdom and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London before beginning a professional acting career on stage and television.
During the 1970s and 1980s, he featured in several British productions, including The Goodies, Till Death Us Do Part, Barlow at Large and Night and Day.
After returning to Nigeria in 1990, Jacobs appeared in the NTA television series The Third Eye and became one of the leading figures in the rapidly growing Nollywood industry.
Over the years, he featured in hundreds of films and earned widespread acclaim for his performances, mentoring younger actors and helping elevate Nigerian cinema on the global stage.
His contributions were recognised with several honours, including the Africa International Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021, the Audio-Visual Rights Society of Nigeria Icon Award in 2022 and the Industry Merit Award at the 2023 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards.
The burial marked the final farewell to a screen icon whose influence on Nollywood and African storytelling continues to resonate across generations of actors and filmmakers.
