RovingHeights bookstore is set to host a special book signing event in honour of the late Nollywood veteran and playwright Chief Fabian Adibe on Saturday, 8th August 2026, at 2:00pm at RovingHeights Landmark. The event will be led by his daughter, Chioma Adibe, who will be present to sign copies of her late father’s book, Mixed Grill, a collection comprising The Call, Prison Poems, and others.
Chief Fabian Adibe was born on 1st December 1943 in Imo State and was among the pioneers of Nigeria’s golden age of film and television. He studied Theatre Arts at the University of Ibadan, where he received formal training before going on to build one of the most respected careers in the history of Nigerian screen performance. In 1965, he led Nigeria to its first participation in the Commonwealth Festival of Arts in London, United Kingdom, representing a country still finding its cultural voice on the world stage.
It was his role in the 1987 NTA television adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart that brought him into the national spotlight and cemented his place in Nigerian cultural history. He played Ogbuefi Uzowulu alongside Pete Edochie, Justus Esiri, and Sam Loco Efe, four of the most iconic names in Nigerian screen history. Of that quartet, only Pete Edochie remains. The series is widely credited as one of the first African novels to be successfully adapted for screen with international recognition, and it remains one of the most studied productions in Nollywood classrooms today.
Beyond Things Fall Apart, Adibe built one of the most extensive filmographies in the industry, featuring in over 300 productions across decades. His notable works include Slave Warrior, White Kingdom 2, Father, Living in Bondage, Peacemaker, Broken Plate, Evil Desire, Oke Belgium, The Prince and Princess, Honourable, Billionaires Club, Fire on the Mountain, Never Say Goodbye, Red Light, Good News, Two Together, Ungrateful, Reward of Goodness, Sunrise, and Revolution, among many others. He also worked on international productions including Soweto, a film about the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa, and Mr. Johnson, a Hollywood feature.
He was a staff member of the Nigerian Television Authority until his retrenchment on 25th May 1984. Throughout his career he became known for portraying figures of authority, elders, kings, fathers, and patriarchs, roles that required depth, restraint, and a commanding quiet that very few actors possess naturally. In his later years, he faced significant personal challenges including the complete loss of his sight through glaucoma in 2019, a development he spoke about publicly in an interview with Punch in 2020.
He launched his debut book Mixed Grill in December 2013 on his birthday. The book drew from decades of lived experience including his time during the Nigerian civil war, during which he was jailed for 30 months after joining the Biafra forces, a chapter he later discussed in an interview with BBC Igbo.
Chief Fabian Adibe passed away on 20th August 2025 after a brief illness. His passing was confirmed by his daughter Nkechi Adibe, who wrote on Instagram, “He was the best father anyone could think of.” He is survived by his wife and four children, among them Chioma Adibe, an actress, model and businesswoman, and Emeka Adibe, a filmmaker and director who has also carved out his own path in Nollywood.
The book signing is an opportunity to meet the family, collect a signed copy of Mixed Grill, and be part of an afternoon dedicated to preserving a remarkable literary and cinematic legacy. The event holds at RovingHeights Landmark on Saturday, 8th August 2026, at 2:00pm.
For more information visit www.rhbooks.com.ng or follow RovingHeights on Instagram and X at @rovingheights.
