The family of veteran Nollywood actor Olu Jacobs has announced funeral arrangements following his death at age 84 on September 16. A night of tributes will hold on Wednesday, September 30, at Glover Memorial Hall, Marina, Lagos, from 4pm, followed by the funeral service on Friday, October 2, at This Present House, Lekki, Lagos, from 10am. The dates were confirmed in an obituary announcement shared by celebrity journalist and media entrepreneur Seun Oloketuyi.
Born Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs on July 11, 1942, in Abeokuta, the actor trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London before building a career that stretched from British television into international cinema, with credits including The Professionals, The Dogs of War and Roman Polanski's Pirates, before he returned to Nigeria and became one of the industry's defining figures. His television advertisement for Ribena also made him a familiar face to Nigerian schoolchildren in the 1970s and early 1980s. Alongside his wife, veteran actress Joke Silva, he co-founded the Lufodo Group, a media company spanning film production, distribution and the Lufodo Academy of Performing Arts.
Rumours of his death had briefly circulated in 2021, only for him to appear later that year at the Africa International Film Festival, where he received a Lifetime Achievement Award. Silva would later reveal, in an interview with Chude Jideonwo, that her husband had been living with Lewy body dementia.
News of his passing, first announced by his son Olusoji Jacobs, drew tributes from across Nigeria's film industry and beyond. Funke Akindele called him a kind, gracious man who was always willing to support younger talents, while Richard Mofe-Damijo, who referred to him as "Uncle Jay," described him as an icon, pioneer and giant of Nigerian theatre and film. Mercy Johnson-Okojie credited his guidance with shaping her own career, and filmmaker Tunde Kelani reflected on directing him as one of the highlights of his own filmography. Former senator Shehu Sani and ambassador-designate Reno Omokri both paid tribute to his cultural legacy, while former SDP presidential candidate Adewole Adebayo described him as a giant whose exit leaves an irreplaceable void in the global film industry.
