Veteran Nollywood actor Olu Jacobs has been laid to rest in Lagos State after a funeral service held on Friday.
The service was conducted at the Freedom Centre in Lekki, drawing family members, colleagues, friends, dignitaries, and numerous stars of the Nigerian film industry who came together to pay tribute to the late actor.
Jacobs passed away in September at the age of 82, leaving behind a career that spanned several decades and earned him a reputation as one of Nigeria’s most respected actors.
Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat and former Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun were among those present at the funeral.
The Nollywood figures at the ceremony included 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 funeral came after a night of tributes and a service of songs held on Wednesday to honor Jacobs and his contributions to the Nigerian entertainment industry.
Born in 1942 to parents from Egba Alake, Jacobs spent his early years in Kano, where he attended Holy Trinity School.
His love for the performing arts grew after he watched a Hubert Ogunde concert party performance at the Colonial Hotel in Kano.
He then relocated to England, where he trained as an actor at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.
Jacobs started building his stage career during the 1970s. In 1972, he took on the role of The Boy in ‘A Taste of Honey’ at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
He went on to appear in several British television productions, among them ‘The Goodies,’ ‘Till Death Us Do Part,’ and ‘Barlow at Large.’
In 1978, he played President Mageeba in Michael Codron’s presentation of Sir Tom Stoppard’s play ‘Night and Day.’
After coming back to Nigeria in 1990, Jacobs appeared in the NTA detective series ‘The Third Eye’ before rising to prominence in the country’s emerging Nollywood industry.
He went on to act in hundreds of films and cemented his place as one of the most celebrated performers in Nigerian cinema.
His career brought him a number of honors, such as 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.
At the 2023 AMVCA, Jacobs was given the Industry Merit Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to acting.
