For more than five decades, Olu Jacobs commanded the stage and screen with a presence that was difficult to ignore.
Whether he was playing a king, politician, father, elder or an imposing authority figure, the veteran actor brought a distinctive voice, composure and depth to his characters, becoming one of the most recognisable faces in Nigerian theatre and film.
That remarkable journey has come to an end.
Veteran Nigerian actor and film executive, Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs, popularly known as Olu Jacobs, has died at the age of 84.
His death was announced by his son, Olusoji Jacobs, in an Instagram post on Wednesday, September 16, 2026.
The family described the late actor as “The Lion of Lufodo” and asked bloggers and social media influencers to respect their privacy as they mourn.
“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,” the family stated.
The statement identified him as Oludotun Baiyewun Jacobs (MFR), born July 11, 1942, and died September 16, 2026.
“We call on all bloggers and social media influencers to respect our family’s privacy at this time,” the family added.
From Kano childhood to the world of theatre
Born on July 11, 1942, Jacobs was from Abeokuta, Ogun State, but spent part of his childhood in Kano.
His fascination with performance began early. As a young man, he became involved in drama and debating, gradually developing the interest that would eventually take him from Nigeria to Britain and onto some of the most respected stages and screens of his time.
His interest in acting was also influenced by seeing the performances of the legendary Nigerian theatre practitioner Hubert Ogunde during his visits to Kano.
Jacobs eventually travelled to Britain, where he trained at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London.
The move opened the door to a career that would initially take him through British theatre and television before he returned home to make an even deeper mark on Nigeria’s entertainment industry.
The Nigerian actor who conquered British television
Before becoming one of Nollywood’s most familiar faces, Jacobs had already established himself as a working actor in Britain.
He appeared in several British television productions, including The Goodies, Till Death Us Do Part, The Professionals, The Tomorrow People, The Venturers and other programmes.
He also worked with repertory theatre companies and appeared in stage productions across Britain.
His international film credits included The Dogs of War, Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend and Roman Polanski’s Pirates, giving him an unusual body of work that stretched well beyond the Nigerian film industry.
Those early experiences helped shape the actor audiences would later come to know in Nigeria: measured, commanding and capable of bringing authority to even the most demanding roles.
The return home that changed Nigerian cinema
Jacobs eventually returned to Nigeria in the 1980s and began building another chapter of his career.
His arrival coincided with a period of major development in Nigerian television, theatre and film, and he soon became a familiar face on the country’s screens.
One of his notable early Nigerian television roles was as Inspector Best Idafa in the NTA series The Third Eye. He subsequently appeared in numerous stage, television and film productions.
Over the years, his reputation grew so strongly that producers increasingly sought him for roles that demanded authority and gravitas.
He became particularly associated with portrayals of kings, traditional rulers, politicians and elder statesmen — roles that earned him the affectionate reputation of being one of Nollywood’s go-to actors for powerful characters.
More than an actor
Olu Jacobs’ contribution to Nigerian entertainment extended beyond the characters audiences saw on screen.
Together with his wife, veteran actress Joke Silva, he was involved in the Lufodo Group, a media and entertainment company with interests that included film production and the Lufodo Academy of Performing Arts.
The couple became one of the most recognised partnerships in Nigeria’s theatre and film industry, both as performers and as figures involved in developing the next generation of talent.
Jacobs was also recognised nationally for his contribution to the arts. He was honoured with the title Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR).
His long career also earned him major industry honours, including the AMAA Lifetime Achievement Award and the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards Industry Merit Award.
A career measured in decades
It is difficult to tell the story of Nigerian cinema without encountering Olu Jacobs.
He appeared in a vast number of stage productions, television programmes and films over the course of his career.
From international productions such as The Dogs of War and Pirates to Nigerian classics and later Nollywood films including Oloibiri and The Royal Hibiscus Hotel, his career crossed generations and genres.
For younger Nigerian audiences, he became the stern king, the influential elder and the powerful patriarch whose presence could instantly give a movie a different weight.
For older audiences, he represented something even broader — a generation of Nigerian performers who built careers across theatre, television and film long before the global rise of Nollywood.
The Lion of Lufodo
The family’s choice of the description “The Lion of Lufodo” reflects a career that was closely tied not only to acting but also to the Lufodo creative enterprise he built with Joke Silva.
Jacobs and Silva married after meeting through the Nigerian theatre scene and remained partners in both family and professional life.
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Their partnership became one of the enduring stories of Nigerian entertainment, with both actors maintaining prominent careers while contributing to the growth of theatre and film.
A final curtain call
Olu Jacobs leaves behind a body of work that spans continents, generations and multiple eras of entertainment.
He was trained in London, worked in British theatre and television, appeared in international films and returned home to become one of the defining figures of Nigerian stage and screen.
He is survived by his wife, Joke Silva, and his two surviving sons, Olusoji and Olugbenga Jacobs.
At 84, the curtain has fallen on the life of an actor who spent decades stepping into other people’s stories.
But for millions who watched him, remembered his voice and grew familiar with his commanding presence, Olu Jacobs’ own story is unlikely to end with his final appearance on screen.
His films remain. His performances remain. And so does the legacy of The Lion of Lufodo.