Olu Jacobs, veteran of Nigerian and British screen, dies aged 84
Veteran Nigerian actor Olu Jacobs has died aged 84, according to an announcement by his family on Wednesday.
In a statement posted on social media, the family honoured the celebrated actor, referring to him as “The Lion of Lufodo” and describing his life as one marked by service, dedication and achievement.
Jacobs was among the most familiar and respected figures in Nigeria’s entertainment industry. His illustrious career covered British television, theatre, international film and Nollywood, spanning several decades.
Born Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs on 11 July 1942, he spent his formative years in Kano, northern Nigeria. While his family traced its roots to the Egba Alake community in what is now Ogun State, his upbringing in Kano helped nurture his passion for the performing arts.
His interest in acting was sparked after he attended one of the annual concert performances staged by Nigerian theatre pioneer Hubert Ogunde at the Colonial Hotel in Kano.
Jacobs subsequently moved to Britain, where he studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. He later performed with British theatre companies and featured in several television productions in the 1970s, including The Goodies, Till Death Us Do Part, Barlow at Large and The Professionals.
His international film appearances included The Dogs of War, Pirates and Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend. He eventually returned to Nigeria, where he became a prominent figure in the country’s expanding film industry.
Over the course of his career, Jacobs appeared in more than 100 films and became widely recognised for portraying authoritative, layered and often complex characters. His body of work helped bridge Nigeria’s established theatre tradition with the developing Nollywood film industry.
His numerous accolades included the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in 2007. He also received an Industry Merit Award at the 2013 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. In 2011, he was awarded Nigeria’s national honour of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR).
Outside the screen, Jacobs and his wife, fellow veteran actress Joke Silva, founded the Lufodo Group and the Lufodo Academy of Performing Arts.
The couple married in 1989 and went on to have children and grandchildren.
Jacobs gradually stepped away from public acting in his later years. In 2021, Silva disclosed publicly for the first time that her husband had been living with dementia with Lewy bodies, a degenerative neurological condition. She said the illness had affected both Jacobs and the family for several years.
Reports of Jacobs’ death had circulated falsely on several occasions in the past, including in 2021 and 2024. His family and representatives denied those reports at the time.
According to his family, Jacobs is survived by his wife, children and grandchildren.
