Olu Jacobs, veteran actor who helped shape Nollywood, dies at 84

Olu Jacobs is regarded as one of the father figures in Nigeria’s vibrant film industry, Nollywood, with a career that spanned over five decades in theatre, television and film. — Picture via Facebook

First Published: Thursday, 17 Sep 2026 11:40 AM MYT

LAGOS, Sept 17 — One of Nigeria’s pioneering filmmakers and actors who helped bring Nollywood talent to the global stage, Olu Jacobs has died at age 84, his family said yesterday. 

Jacobs is regarded as one of the father figures in Nigeria’s vibrant film industry, Nollywood, with a career that spanned over five decades in theatre, television and film.

Announcing the death on Instagram, his son, Olusoji Jacobs, said his was “a life well lived and fought”.

“He was a giant of the Nigerian creative industry,” said President Bola Tinubu said, adding he played a “big role” toward building Nigeria’s cultural identity.

“His passing is a great loss to Nigeria, the African film industry and the global community of lovers of the performing arts,” the president said in a tribute.

Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria’s former vice president and candidate in upcoming presidential elections, wrote in a post on X that “Nigeria has lost far more than a great actor; we have lost an institution, a cultural icon and one of the finest ambassadors of our creative spirit”.

Jacobs’ wife, Joke Silva, who is also a renowned Nollywood actress and filmmaker, announced in 2021 that he had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, a progressive neurodegenerative disease.

Born Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and appeared in different British television shows and series in the 1970s — including The Goodies, The Professionals and The Tomorrow People.

He featured in over 200 productions, according to a Nigerian-registered company, The FilmCraft Productions. Among some of the awards Jacobs received were the Africa Movie Academy Awards and Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA).

Nollywood is the world’s second largest only to Bollywood in terms of output, and produces some 2,000 films annually. — AFP