The Nigerian entertainment industry gathered in Lagos to honour the late Olu Jacobs as his final burial rites commenced with an evening of music, tributes, laughter and deeply personal memories of one of the country’s most revered actors.
Jacobs, whose death was announced by his family on September 16, 2026, was remembered by colleagues, family members and friends not only for his extraordinary contribution to stage, television and film, but also for the warmth, discipline and generosity that characterised his relationships away from the spotlight.
At the centre of the gathering was his wife, veteran actress Joke Silva, who appeared in grey lace alongside their sons, Gbenga and Soji, both dressed in traditional white agbada.
The ceremony brought together generations of Nigeria’s entertainment community, with Nollywood pioneers, contemporary stars and government officials paying their respects. Among those present were Sola Sobowale, Ahmed Yerima, Norbert Young, Kate Henshaw, Hilda Dokubo, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Desmond Elliot and the Minister of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa.
‘For me, he was simply Dad’
Opening the tributes, Jacobs’ son, Soji, offered a personal account of life with a father whose public reputation often appeared larger than life.
He said that despite his father’s fame and immense influence within the entertainment industry, Jacobs remained deeply committed to his family and worked to keep his private life separate from his professional world.
“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,” he said.
“As much as the industry loved him and as possessive as they were of him, he always drew a fine line between that world and ours. He protected our privacy fiercely.”
Soji’s recollection offered a glimpse into the private side of an actor who spent decades in the public eye, portraying some of the most memorable characters in Nigerian theatre, television and film.
Colleagues remember a demanding professional
Several of Jacobs’ longtime colleagues took turns recounting experiences from decades of working alongside him, describing an actor whose commitment to his craft extended beyond his own performances.
Actor Norbert Young reflected on their time together on Third Eye, the popular detective television series of the 1980s, where he said Jacobs’ discipline and willingness to share knowledge had a lasting impact on his own career.
“He loved to talk back then, and I loved to listen,” Young said. “I became the actor I am today from listening to him at least once a week during the time we shot ‘Third Eye.’”
For Young and others in attendance, Jacobs represented a generation of performers who helped establish the foundations of Nigeria’s modern television and theatre industries.
Playwright and scholar Ahmed Yerima provided one of the evening’s lighter moments with an anecdote that illustrated Jacobs’ ability to bring extraordinary emotional intensity to his performances.
“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,” the professor said.
A mentor beyond the stage
Actresses Hilda Dokubo and Kate Henshaw recalled another dimension of Jacobs’ personality, describing him as a caring and paternal presence to younger actors and crew members.
Dokubo remembered her first encounter with Jacobs and Silva, admitting that she was overwhelmed by the opportunity to work alongside two established figures in the industry.
“I was mopping and not looking. He later touched me and I thought I would jump out of my skin, but he calmed me down and said, ‘Don’t worry, everything will be OK. Read with me.’ That was how I finally got comfortable,” she told the gathering.
Henshaw similarly recalled Jacobs’ thoughtfulness during long and demanding productions, particularly his habit of ensuring that colleagues had something to eat and drink.
“Uncle Olu always came prepared with snacks and coffee. Once, when we were almost stranded on a remote set, Uncle Olu just said, ‘Never mind.’ He brought out his leather bag, and inside were mixed vegetables, sausages, and everything we needed,” she added.
The memories painted a picture of an actor whose influence extended beyond his performances and into the professional and personal lives of those who worked with him.
‘She is a great actor’
For many of Nigeria’s most established performers, Jacobs was also a figure whose recognition carried considerable weight.
Sola Sobowale recalled a moment when Jacobs’ words gave her confidence at a crucial stage of her career. She connected the memory to her longstanding friendship with Joke Silva and the wider circle of actors that included Ayo Mogaji and Ngozi Nwosu.
“Uncle Olu stood among us, looked at me, and said to the room, ‘Have you seen Sola Sobowale? She is a great actor.’ That moment changed everything for me,” Sobowale said.
Her recollection captured the esteem in which Jacobs was held by fellow actors, many of whom regarded his approval as a significant professional endorsement.
RMD recalls lesson on humility
Richard Mofe-Damijo also paid tribute to Jacobs, describing him as a mentor whose advice continued to influence him long after their professional encounters.
He recalled a story Jacobs once told him about forgetting a line while performing on stage. The experience, according to Mofe-Damijo, became a lesson about the importance of respecting every role and every line in a production.
“That lesson has lived with me all my life. He said to me, ‘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 statement reflected one of the recurring themes of the tributes: Jacobs’ insistence on professionalism and his belief that every contribution to a production mattered.
Music marks farewell to a cultural giant
The solemnity of the evening was softened by moments of humour and music as guests shared stories that celebrated Jacobs’ humanity as much as his achievements.
Singer Yinka Davies provided one of the evening’s musical highlights with a stripped-back, piano-assisted medley that drew warm appreciation from the gathering.
The performance brought the evening’s tributes together in a fitting farewell to an actor whose career spanned theatre, television and film and whose influence helped shape generations of Nigerian performers.
As family, friends and colleagues gathered to remember him, the tributes repeatedly returned to the same themes — excellence, mentorship, generosity, discipline and an enduring commitment to the craft of acting.
For those who worked with him, Olu Jacobs was not simply an accomplished performer. He was a teacher, colleague, mentor, husband and father whose presence left an indelible mark on Nigeria’s entertainment industry.