Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
Veteran Nollywood actress Sola Sobowale broke down in tears at the Night of Tributes for the late Olu Jacobs, disclosing publicly for the first time that the iconic actor was personally responsible for her training and helped shape the career that made her one of Nigeria’s most celebrated performers.
Speaking at the Glover Memorial Hall on Lagos Island on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, Sobowale addressed a gathering of family members, colleagues and industry veterans who had come to honour Jacobs, who died on September 16 at the age of 84 after a long battle with Lewy body dementia. “When people see Sola Sobowale, they say she is a fantastic actor. But somebody trained me,” she said, her voice heavy with emotion. “And I’m saying this today: Baba Olu Jacobs Olumide trained me. A man of knowledge, wisdom, a selfless man — that is Uncle Olumi”. She recalled how Jacobs would caution her whenever she brought her troubles to him, demonstrating his famous hand gesture and the words “Sola, no, no, no,” which she said carried a message that anyone wise would understand.
Sobowale, popularly known as “Toyin Tomato” for her role in the television series Super Story, also recalled a moment early in her career when Jacobs publicly praised her in front of colleagues. “Uncle Olu stood among us, looked at me, and said to the room, ‘Have you seen Sola Sobowale? She is a great actor.’ That moment changed everything for me,” she said. She closed her tribute with a farewell that drew tears from the audience. “You are gone, but forever you will be remembered. May the path ahead of you not be ruined. May the legacy and family you left behind never fall apart. Farewell until we meet along the journey, until we meet in dreams. Thank you very much. I love you”.
The Night of Tributes brought together an impressive cross-section of Nigeria’s creative industry. Jacobs’ wife, veteran actress Joke Silva, and their sons, Olusoji and Olugbenga, were present. Colleagues in attendance included Richard Mofe-Damijo, Kate Henshaw, Jide Kosoko, Adebayo Salami (Oga Bello), Afeez Oyetoro (Saka), Norbert Young, Hilda Dokubo, Funke Akindele, Femi Adebayo and Segun Arinze, among others. The Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, also attended. The dress code for the tribute ceremony was blue, while guests have been asked to wear shades of green for the funeral service scheduled for Friday, October 2, at This Present House, Freedom Way, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos. The funeral will be followed by a private burial.
Richard Mofe-Damijo, who described Jacobs as a father figure, shared a lifelong lesson he learned from the late actor. “He said to me, ‘There are no small actors, and there are no small lines. But if you are not mindful of the small lines, you will become a small actor,’” RMD recalled, saying the lesson had stayed with him throughout his career. Norbert Young, who worked with Jacobs on the iconic 1980s detective series The Third Eye, said he became the actor he is today by listening to Jacobs at least once a week during their time on the show. Kate Henshaw remembered Jacobs’ legendary generosity on set, recalling how he once produced a leather bag filled with mixed vegetables, sausages and other provisions when the cast and crew were almost stranded on a remote location. Playwright and scholar Ahmed Yerima shared a lighter moment, recalling how Jacobs once began crying during a scene in one of his plays, a moment he said he had never written into the script but which became unforgettable.
Olu Jacobs, born Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs on July 11, 1942, in Kano, was one of the most accomplished actors in Nigerian history. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and built a career across British theatre and television during the 1970s, appearing in productions such as The Goodies, Till Death Us Do Part and The Professionals. He also appeared in international films, including The Dogs of War in 1980 and Roman Polanski’s Pirates in 1986. He returned to Nigeria around 1990 and became widely recognised through the NTA detective series The Third Eye, before going on to appear in more than 120 productions, portraying kings, fathers, elders and other authority figures. His later film credits included Dancing Heart, Dry, Oloibiri and The Royal Hibiscus Hotel. He won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in 2007 and received the national honour of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic in 2011. With his wife, Joke Silva, he co-founded the Lufodo Group and the Lufodo Academy of Performing Arts, institutions that contributed significantly to professional training within Nigeria’s entertainment industry.
Jacobs’ death was announced by his son, Olusoji Jacobs, who described him as “The Lion of Lufodo.” The family said in a statement, “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”. Jacobs had largely withdrawn from public acting in his later years, and his wife had previously spoken publicly about his health, revealing that he was living with Lewy body dementia. His absence from the screen contributed to repeated false reports of his death, which the family denied in 2024.
For Nollywood, the Night of Tributes was more than a farewell. It was a collective acknowledgment of a man whose influence extended far beyond his own performances. The actors he mentored, the standards he set and the institutions he built with his wife have shaped the industry in ways that will outlast him. As Sobowale put it, when people see her, they see a fantastic actor. But somebody trained her, and that person was Baba Olu Jacobs. Her tribute, delivered through tears, was the evening’s most powerful reminder that Jacobs’ legacy lives not only in the films he made but in the careers he nurtured. The funeral service on Friday will mark the final chapter of a life that spanned more than five decades in theatre, television and film, and the industry he helped build will gather once more to say goodbye.
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