OBITUARY: Olu Jacobs, the Kano boy who conquered British stages, became Nollywood royalty, falls silent at 84

Veteran Nigerian actor and theatre practitioner Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs, popularly known as Olu Jacobs, whose commanding voice and imposing screen presence made him one of the most recognisable figures in Nigerian theatre and film, has died at 84.

Jacobs died on Wednesday, closing a remarkable acting journey that took him from a childhood in Kano to professional theatre and television in Britain and, eventually, to the Nigerian film industry, where he became one of Nollywood’s most revered veterans.

His son, Olusoji Jacobs, announced his death in a family statement describing the actor as a beloved husband, father, grandfather and uncle, and as “The Lion of Lufodo.”

“It is with gratitude to God for a life well lived and fought that we announce the passing of our dear husband, father, grandfather and uncle,” the family said.

Jacobs’ death ends a career spanning more than five decades and several eras of performance — from British repertory theatre and television to Nigerian stage productions and the burgeoning film industry that would become Nollywood.

From Kano to the stage

Born on 11 July 1942 to parents of Egba-Alake heritage from Abeokuta, Ogun State, Jacobs spent his early childhood in Kano.

At Holy Trinity School, Kano, he became involved in debating and drama, interests that gradually developed into a determination to pursue acting professionally.

One encounter would prove particularly significant.

Jacobs had recalled watching a performance by legendary Nigerian theatre pioneer Hubert Ogunde at the Colonial Hotel in Kano, an experience that strengthened his desire to become an actor.

His father did not initially support the ambition, but Jacobs persisted.

In 1964, he travelled to Britain, where he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, beginning a professional journey that would initially take him far from the Nigerian film industry for which he would eventually become famous.

British stage and television

After his training, Jacobs worked with repertory theatre companies in Britain and Ireland.

Among his stage appearances was a role in A Taste of Honey at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield in 1972. He later appeared in productions including Tom Stoppard’s Night and Day.

British television also became an important part of his early career. He appeared in programmes including The Goodies, Till Death Us Do Part, Barlow at Large, The Venturers, Angels, The Tomorrow People, The Professionals and The Third Eye.

His screen work extended to international films, including The Dogs of War, Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend and Pirates.

By the time he established himself in Nigeria, Jacobs had already accumulated considerable professional experience on British stages and screens.

Before acting became his career, he had also worked at UAC Market Research Company, conducting consumer research around Nigeria, particularly in the North.

Return to Nigeria

Jacobs eventually returned to Nigeria and became part of a generation of theatre practitioners who brought professional stage experience into the country’s developing television and film industries.

His voice, diction, physical bearing and measured delivery made him difficult to overlook on screen.

He became particularly renowned for portraying kings, patriarchs, traditional rulers, political figures and men of authority, although his body of work extended beyond the imposing roles that became synonymous with his screen persona.

Over the decades, he appeared in more than 100 Nigerian films, with later credits including Oloibiri and The Royal Hibiscus Hotel.

His performance in Dancing Heart earned him the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in 2007.

In 2013, he received the Industry Merit Award at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, while the Africa Movie Academy Awards honoured him with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.

He was conferred with the national honour of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) in 2011.

Olu Jacobs and Joke Silva

Away from the screen, Jacobs shared one of Nigerian entertainment’s most enduring marriages with fellow veteran actor Joke Silva.

The pair met in 1981 at the National Theatre in Lagos while working on Wole Soyinka’s Jero’s Metamorphosis. Their professional relationship blossomed into a romance, and they married in 1985.

Ms Silva retained her professional name after marriage, a decision her husband publicly supported. Mr Jacobs maintained that she had already built an identity and career as Joke Silva before becoming his wife and saw no reason for marriage to erase it.

Together, they built more than a marriage around acting.

The couple co-founded the Lufodo Group, through which they contributed to theatre, film production and the training of younger performers. Their work also extended to the Lufodo Academy of Performing Arts.

In 2022, the Lagos State Government handed over the management of the historic Glover Memorial Hall to the Lufodo Group.

The couple’s first child, Dayo, died as a child. They later had two sons, Olusoji and Olugbenga.

Olusoji subsequently joined the family entertainment business as Head of Productions and Business Development at Lufodo.

Celebrated at 80

Jacobs’ stature within the entertainment industry was evident when colleagues, political figures and business leaders gathered to celebrate his 80th birthday.

Among those who attended were then-Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi, former Ogun State Governor Olusegun Osoba, filmmaker and media entrepreneur Mo Abudu, and actors Victor Osuagwu, Ngozi Nwosu, Sola Sobowale, and Hilda Dokubo.

Others included Richard Mofe-Damijo, Mercy Johnson, Kunle Afolayan, Ini Edo and Africa International Film Festival founder Chioma Ude.

By then, however, the actor had already begun a difficult final chapter away from the screen.

Years of illness

Jacobs’ final years were marked by his battle with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB).

In November 2021, Silva publicly disclosed that her husband had been diagnosed with the condition, explaining that it had affected him and the family for several years.

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The disclosure followed Jacobs’ gradual withdrawal from acting and public appearances.

Silva subsequently spoke openly about the profound changes the illness brought to their marriage and family and about caring for the man with whom she had shared decades of her life.

His declining health also made him the subject of repeated false death reports.

In 2024, another claim that the actor had died circulated widely on social media. His family debunked it, with his son releasing a video showing that he was alive.

This time, the announcement came from the family itself.

Jacobs leaves behind his wife, Joke Silva; sons, Olusoji and Olugbenga; grandchildren; and extended family.

His journey began with a boy in Kano captivated by performance, carried him to one of Britain’s foremost drama schools and onto British stages and television screens, before bringing him home to become one of the defining figures of Nigerian cinema.