Nigeria has lost one of its greatest screen icons. Legendary actor Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs (MFR), known to generations simply as Olu Jacobs, has passed away at the age of 84. His family confirmed his transition on the morning of Wednesday, September 16, 2026.
The news was shared by his son, Olusoji Jacobs, in a statement posted on Instagram. “It is with gratitude to God for a life well lived and fought, that we announce the passing of our dear husband, father, grandfather and uncle. The Lion of Lufodo,” he wrote. The family also asked bloggers and social media personalities to respect their privacy during this period of mourning.
Born on July 11, 1942 in Kano, Olu Jacobs trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, where he began his professional career on the British stage and screen. Through the 1970s, he appeared in British television productions including The Goodies, Barlow at Large, The Venturers, Angels, The Tomorrow People, and The Professionals, before moving into international film with roles in Ashanti, The Dogs of War, Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend, and Pirates.
He later returned to Nigeria, where he became one of the founding pillars of what we now know as Nollywood. Across more than five decades and over 100 films, he built a reputation for playing commanding, complex characters, and his distinctive voice and presence became one of the most recognisable features of Nigerian screen culture.
His honours reflected that legacy. He won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in 2007, received an Industry Merit Award at the 2013 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, and was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. In 2011, he was conferred with the national honour of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR).
Beyond his own performances, Olu Jacobs helped build the industry itself. Alongside his wife, veteran actress Joke Silva, whom he married in 1989, he co-founded the Lufodo Group and the Lufodo Academy of Performing Arts, training and mentoring a new generation of Nigerian talent. He is survived by his wife, children, and grandchildren.
Tributes have poured in from across the industry since the announcement, with colleagues including Funke Akindele and Ini Edo sharing their condolences publicly.
Olu Jacobs gave Nigerian cinema decades of his craft, his voice, and his belief that acting could be a serious, honourable profession. His work will continue to speak for him.
Rest well, sir.
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