LAGOS, NIGERIA — Veteran Nigerian actor and film executive Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs (MFR), popularly known as Olú Jacobs, has passed away at the age of 84.
His death was announced by his family on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, through his son, Olusoji Jacobs, in a statement shared on social media. The family described the celebrated actor as “The Lion of Lufodo” and said his life had been one well lived. The family also appealed to bloggers and social-media influencers to respect their privacy during the mourning period.
The family statement identified him as Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs (MFR), 11 July 1942 – 16 September 2026. His death marks the end of a career that stretched across Nigerian and British theatre, television, international cinema and the Nigerian film industry.
Born on July 11, 1942, Jacobs grew up in Nigeria and developed an early interest in the performing arts. Reports on his early life note that he became interested in acting after watching one of the concert performances of Nigerian theatre pioneer Hubert Ogunde in Kano. He later travelled to Britain, where he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London and worked with repertory theatre companies.
His early professional career included appearances in British television productions and international films. His experience in the British theatre and television system subsequently became part of the foundation for the long and influential career he built after returning to Nigeria. Jacobs became one of the most recognisable faces in Nigerian entertainment, working across stage, television and film. His deep voice, commanding stage presence and ability to portray a wide range of characters made him a familiar figure to generations of Nigerian audiences.
As Nigeria’s film industry developed into what is now widely known as Nollywood, Jacobs became one of its most prominent veteran actors. His career connected an earlier generation of Nigerian theatre practitioners with the expanding film industry, and he appeared in numerous Nigerian productions as well as international projects. Nigerian media have described him as one of the veteran figures who helped shape the country’s contemporary screen industry.
Beyond acting, Jacobs was also involved in the development and training of performers. Together with his wife, veteran actress Joke Silva, he was associated with the Lufodo Group and the Lufodo Academy of Performing Arts, contributing to the professional development of Nigeria’s performing-arts sector. His partnership with Joke Silva was also one of the best-known relationships in Nigeria’s performing-arts community. The two worked together professionally while building a family and a shared institutional legacy within the Nigerian theatre and film sector.
Jacobs’ contribution to the arts received national and industry recognition. In 2007, he won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. He later received the Industry Merit Award at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards in 2013 and a lifetime-achievement honour in 2016. In 2011, the Nigerian government conferred on him the national honour of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) for his contribution to the arts.
His influence extended beyond individual performances. For many Nigerians and Africans, Jacobs represented a generation of actors whose professional foundations were rooted in theatre before the expansion of commercial Nigerian cinema. His career therefore reflected an important transition in Nigeria’s cultural history — from stage and broadcast drama to the international visibility achieved by Nollywood. The news of his death has already prompted tributes from colleagues and figures across Nigeria’s entertainment industry. Actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele, for example, described Jacobs as a “true legend” and remembered him for supporting and encouraging younger talents.
Political and public figures have also begun paying tribute. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar described Jacobs as a cultural icon and institution, reflecting the wider recognition of his contribution beyond the entertainment industry. Jacobs’ passing also brings an end to a period in which false reports of his death had circulated repeatedly on social media. His family and colleagues had previously had to dismiss such reports. On September 16, however, the family itself confirmed his death. (LEADERSHIP Newspapers)
The family has not publicly announced a cause of death in its statement, and early reports have likewise not provided an officially confirmed cause. The family has instead asked the public to allow them privacy as they mourn. For more than five decades, Olú Jacobs occupied a distinctive place in Nigeria’s performing arts. From British theatre and television to Nigerian stage productions and Nollywood, his career crossed generations, countries and artistic forms.
He leaves behind his wife, Joke Silva, their children and grandchildren, as well as a wide community of colleagues, students, admirers and audiences who encountered his work across the decades. His passing closes another chapter in the history of Nigerian theatre and cinema, but his body of work remains part of the cultural record of Nigeria and the African screen.
