Nollywood Legend Olu Jacobs Laid to Rest in Lagos
Veteran Nollywood actor and film icon Olu Jacobs has been laid to rest in Lagos, following an emotional funeral service held on Friday, October 2, 2026, at This Present House Church, Freedom Way, Lekki Phase 1.
Family members, friends, colleagues, government officials and prominent personalities from Nigeria’s entertainment industry gathered to pay their final respects to the legendary actor, whose career spanned more than five decades across theatre, television and film.
Olu Jacobs’ widow, veteran actress Joke Silva, and their sons, Olusoji and Olugbenga Jacobs, were among those present at the funeral service. Several notable figures, including Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, Lagos State First Lady Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, former Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun, and Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy Hannatu Musawa, also attended.
One of the emotional moments of the ceremony came when singer and entertainment entrepreneur Dare Art Alade performed his song “Pray For Me,” which features Olu Jacobs and Joke Silva. The late actor’s son, Olugbenga Jacobs, also presented his father’s biography during the funeral proceedings.
Following the funeral service, Olu Jacobs was taken to a private cemetery in Lagos where he was laid to rest.
The burial followed a Night of Tributes and Service of Songs held on September 30 at Glover Memorial Hall on Lagos Island, where Nollywood colleagues and friends celebrated his remarkable contribution to Nigeria’s creative industry.
Olu Jacobs’ Remarkable Nollywood Legacy
Born Oludotun Baiyewun Jacobs on July 11, 1942, Olu Jacobs trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London before building a career in British theatre and television.
He later returned to Nigeria and became one of the most recognisable and influential actors in Nollywood, appearing in numerous Nigerian and international productions. His commanding screen presence and versatility made him particularly well known for portraying traditional rulers, chiefs, fathers and other authoritative characters.
Together with Joke Silva, whom he married in 1989, Olu Jacobs co-founded the Lufodo Group and Lufodo Academy of Performing Arts, contributing to film production, distribution and the training of young talents in the performing arts.
Jacobs was also honoured with the Nigerian national award of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) for his contributions to the country.
He died on September 16, 2026, at the age of 84, bringing to a close a career that had made him one of the defining figures of Nigerian theatre, television and cinema.
As Nollywood bids farewell to one of its most celebrated veterans, Olu Jacobs leaves behind a body of work and a legacy that will remain an important part of Nigeria’s entertainment history.