Veteran Nigerian actor Olu Jacobs has been buried in Lagos following a funeral service held on Friday to honour the late film icon.
The service took place at the Freedom Centre in Lekki, Lagos, where family members, friends, colleagues, dignitaries and prominent figures in Nigeria’s film industry gathered to celebrate his life and career.
Jacobs died in September at the age of 82 after a career spanning several decades in theatre, television and film.
Dignitaries, Nollywood Stars Attend Funeral
Among those who attended the ceremony were Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat and former Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun.
Nollywood personalities at the funeral 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 followed a night of tributes and service of songs held on Wednesday in celebration of Jacobs’ life and contribution to Nigeria’s entertainment industry.
From Kano To The International Stage
Born in 1942 to parents from Egba Alake, Jacobs spent his early years in Kano, where he attended Holy Trinity School.
His interest in acting reportedly developed after watching a performance by the Hubert Ogunde concert party at the Colonial Hotel in Kano.
He later moved to England and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.
Jacobs began building his stage career in the 1970s. In 1972, he played The Boy in A Taste of Honey at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
He subsequently appeared in British television productions including The Goodies, Till Death Us Do Part and Barlow at Large.
In 1978, he portrayed President Mageeba in Michael Codron’s presentation of Sir Tom Stoppard’s Night and Day.
A Lasting Legacy In Nollywood
Jacobs returned to Nigeria in 1990 and featured in the NTA detective series The Third Eye before becoming a prominent figure in the emerging Nollywood industry.
He went on to feature in hundreds of films and became one of the most recognisable performers in Nigerian cinema.
His career earned him several honours, including the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2021 Africa International Film Festival.
In 2022, he received an Icon Award from the Audio-Visual Rights Society of Nigeria.
The 2023 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards also honoured him with the Industry Merit Award for his contribution to acting.
With his burial in Lagos, family, colleagues and admirers have concluded funeral ceremonies honouring the life and legacy of one of Nigeria’s most prominent actors.
