By Iroyin Yoruba Television
Veteran Nigerian actor Oludotun Baiyewun Jacobs, popularly known as Olu Jacobs, has been laid to rest in Lagos following a funeral service that brought together members of his family, fellow actors, filmmakers, public officials, friends and other figures from Nigeria’s creative community.
Jacobs was buried privately in Lagos on Friday, October 2, 2026, after a funeral service at This Present House Church on Freedom Way, Lekki Phase 1. The burial brought to a close several days of ceremonies organised to honour the actor, whose career stretched across theatre, television and film for more than five decades.
The Friday ceremony represented the final public stage of a farewell programme that began with a Night of Tributes and Service of Songs at Glover Memorial Hall on Lagos Island on September 30. The earlier gathering attracted a wide range of Nollywood actors and other creative professionals who came together to remember Jacobs and reflect on his contribution to the performing arts.
At the funeral service in Lekki, Jacobs’ family was joined by prominent members of the Nigerian entertainment industry and public figures. Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, Lagos State First Lady Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu and former Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun were among the dignitaries reported to have attended. Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy Hannatu Musawa was also reported to have been present.
Members of Jacobs’ immediate family were also present for the service. His widow, veteran actress Joke Silva, and their sons gathered to mark his final farewell. The ceremony provided an opportunity for the family and the wider creative community to publicly acknowledge the importance of Jacobs’ work and the relationships he built during his long career.
The funeral followed a period of mourning that began after Jacobs’ death was announced on September 16, 2026. He was 84. His death prompted tributes from actors, filmmakers, cultural figures and audiences who had followed his work through different periods of Nigerian theatre and cinema.
His final ceremonies therefore became more than a private family occasion. They also served as a gathering point for members of an industry in which Jacobs had played a prominent role for decades. The presence of several generations of performers reflected the breadth of his professional career and the number of people who encountered his work either directly or through the films, television productions and stage performances in which he appeared.
One of the notable features of the Friday service was the participation of younger and established members of Nigeria’s entertainment community. Singer and entertainment entrepreneur Dare Art Alade was among those reported to have attended, and he performed his song “Pray for Me,” a piece connected to Jacobs and his wife, Joke Silva.
Olugbenga Jacobs, one of the late actor’s sons, also presented his father’s biography during the funeral proceedings, adding a family perspective to the remembrance of Jacobs’ professional and personal life.
The ceremonies preceding the burial had already provided opportunities for colleagues to recall different aspects of Jacobs’ career. At the Night of Tributes, members of Nollywood shared personal recollections, while musical performances, Bible readings and a candlelight procession formed part of the programme.
Those tributes reflected the different stages of Jacobs’ career. He was not known only for his work in contemporary Nigerian cinema. His professional journey also included theatre and television, with a period of work in Britain before his return to Nigeria, where he became one of the recognised figures in the country’s developing film and television industry.
Jacobs trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London before working in British theatre and television. He later returned to Nigeria and established a career that crossed several forms of performance. His work included stage productions, television appearances and films, allowing him to remain visible through different eras of the Nigerian entertainment industry.
His career also extended beyond acting. Jacobs and Joke Silva co-founded the Lufodo Group and the Lufodo Academy of Performing Arts. Through those activities, the couple became involved not only in performance but also in areas connected with production, training and the development of creative professionals.
That broader involvement helps explain why the response to his death extended beyond film audiences. His professional life was connected with theatre, television, film and the training of performers. For colleagues who worked with him, his career represented a link between different generations of Nigerian performance.
Jacobs also received national recognition during his lifetime, including the Member of the Order of the Federal Republic, reflecting official recognition of his contribution to Nigeria’s cultural and creative life.
The final farewell in Lagos came at a significant moment for Nigeria’s creative sector, which has continued to evolve through changes in film production, television distribution, streaming platforms, theatre and other forms of digital entertainment. Jacobs’ career began long before many of those modern distribution systems existed, giving his professional journey a connection to several different phases of the Nigerian entertainment industry.
His generation of performers worked during a period when Nigerian actors increasingly moved between theatre, television and film. Over time, the Nigerian film industry expanded dramatically, creating a larger international audience for locally produced stories and performers. Jacobs became part of that transition, maintaining a presence across different periods of the country’s entertainment history.
His work with Lufodo also placed him and Silva in a position to contribute to the professional development of the sector beyond their appearances on screen. Their involvement in training and creative production created another dimension to a career that was already established through acting.
The September 30 Night of Tributes demonstrated the continuing connection between Jacobs and colleagues from different generations. Actors including Richard Mofe-Damijo, Sola Sobowale, Funke Akindele, Jide Kosoko, Adebayo Salami, Kate Henshaw, Hilda Dokubo, Segun Arinze and Rita Dominic were among those reported to have participated in or attended the tribute activities.
Their participation also illustrated how the Nigerian film community uses public ceremonies to preserve professional memories and recognise the contributions of influential figures. Beyond the formal funeral service, such gatherings provide an opportunity for colleagues to document personal experiences and publicly acknowledge the role a performer played within the development of the industry.
For audiences, the farewell also marked the end of a career that had been visible for decades. Many Nigerians encountered Jacobs through different productions at different points in their lives, while younger audiences encountered his work through later film and television releases or through the continued circulation of older productions.
The private nature of the burial after the public funeral service also meant that the Friday ceremony served as the principal public farewell. The family had announced the October 2 funeral date in advance, with the service scheduled at This Present House in Lekki and a private interment to follow.
By Friday evening, reports confirmed that the private burial had taken place in Lagos, formally concluding the funeral programme. The development transformed the focus from arrangements for the farewell to remembrance of the career and legacy Jacobs leaves behind.
For Nigeria’s cultural community, the significance of the occasion lies in the combination of family remembrance and professional recognition. Jacobs’ career connected Nigerian theatre with television and film, while his work with Lufodo extended into creative production and training. His death and funeral have therefore brought renewed attention to the history of Nigerian performance and to the generations of artists who helped build the sector.
The ceremonies in Lagos also provided a moment for colleagues to acknowledge the importance of preserving the history of Nigeria’s performing arts. As the industry continues to develop through new technologies, international audiences and changing production models, the careers of performers such as Jacobs remain part of the historical foundation from which newer generations have emerged.
Olu Jacobs’ final farewell in Lagos has now concluded, but the public remembrance surrounding his funeral has placed his five-decade career back in focus. From his early professional experience in Britain to his later work across Nigerian theatre, television and film, and his involvement in creative training and production, his career covered several important stages in the development of Nigeria’s entertainment industry.
With his burial completed on October 2, the immediate funeral programme has come to an end. The longer process of preserving and assessing his contribution to Nigerian culture, however, will continue through the films, performances, institutions, colleagues and students connected to the career he built over more than five decades.