The room carried the weight of a man whose name had become bigger than the roles he played, yet the most touching memories of Olu Jacobs on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, came from people who knew him beyond the applause, cameras and familiar screen appearances. At Glover Memorial Hall in Marina, Lagos Island, family members, veteran actors, younger stars, filmmakers and friends gathered for an evening that gradually moved from formal remembrance into deeply personal recollections of a man whose presence had shaped several generations of Nigerian performers. His absence was felt throughout the gathering, but so was the influence he left behind.
The Night of Tributes and Service of Songs was held ahead of Jacobs’ funeral scheduled for Friday, October 2, 2026, giving those who gathered an opportunity to remember his life before the final farewell. Some came with years of working memories, some with stories from the stage and screen, while others remembered simple moments away from the spotlight. As the evening unfolded, the tributes revealed different sides of the late actor, from the teacher who encouraged younger performers to the colleague who shared food on long production days, and finally to the father remembered by his children simply as Dad.
For many Nigerians, Olu Jacobs was a familiar face whose career stretched across generations, but the stories shared during the tribute offered a closer look at the person behind that celebrated career. Sola Sobowale recalled a moment that helped strengthen her confidence, Richard Mofe Damijo remembered a lesson about the value of every actor, while Kate Henshaw spoke about his generosity on set. Norbert Young, Hilda Dokubo and others also opened windows into the man they knew, turning the evening into much more than a gathering of famous names.
Glover Memorial Hall Hosts A Special Farewell
The tribute ceremony began at about 4 p.m. on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at Glover Memorial Hall, a historic venue on Lagos Island that became the meeting point for members of Nigeria’s entertainment community paying their respects to one of the country’s most respected actors. The setting brought together familiar faces from different periods of Nigerian theatre, television and film, creating an atmosphere where old colleagues met younger performers whose careers had developed within an industry Jacobs helped shape.
Among those present were Jide Kosoko, Adebayo Salami, popularly known as Oga Bello, Madam Saje, Richard Mofe Damijo, Sola Sobowale, Funke Akindele, Hilda Dokubo, Kate Henshaw, Segun Arinze, Rita Dominic, Emeka Ike, Femi Adebayo, Saka, Desmond Elliot, Ejike Asiegbu, Keppy Ekpenyong and Norbert Young. Their presence reflected the wide reach of Jacobs’ career, with actors from different generations coming together for the same reason, to honour a colleague, mentor, friend and industry figure whose career had crossed several eras.
The Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, was also present at the ceremony, adding an official dimension to an evening otherwise dominated by personal memories and artistic tributes. The programme included Bible readings, musical performances, recollections from colleagues and a candlelight procession, creating several moments for those present to pause and remember Jacobs beyond his public image.
For an industry accustomed to seeing actors transform themselves into different characters, the evening brought a different kind of storytelling. There were no scripts to follow and no characters to become. Those who stepped forward spoke about the man they had encountered during rehearsals, productions, conversations and private moments, allowing his legacy to emerge through the memories of people who had shared parts of his journey.
Sola Sobowale Reveals A Defining Moment
Among the most striking recollections of the evening came from Sola Sobowale, whose tribute offered an intimate account of how Jacobs affected her confidence as an actress. Sobowale remembered a time when Jacobs publicly acknowledged her ability, describing him as someone whose encouragement carried real weight because of the respect he commanded within the profession. For an actor still building a reputation, hearing such words from a respected senior figure could become a memory that remained long after the particular production had ended.
Sobowale recalled Jacobs telling those around him, “Have you seen Sola Sobowale? She is a great actor.” The statement was simple, but its effect on her was significant. She explained that his recognition gave her confidence at an important point in her journey, making the memory far more than a routine compliment between colleagues. It became one of those small moments that can change how a performer sees their own ability.
Her recollection also placed Jacobs in the role of a mentor rather than simply a celebrated actor. Sobowale described him as someone who trained her, showing how his contribution to Nigerian entertainment extended beyond the performances that audiences watched on television and in cinemas. His influence could also be found in the confidence and development of performers who came after him.
That part of the tribute offered a particularly human picture of Jacobs. A career built on major performances and international experience could easily have created distance between him and younger performers, yet Sobowale’s story pointed to a different relationship. She remembered a man willing to recognise talent and say it openly, leaving behind words that continued to carry meaning years later.
RMD Recalls A Lesson From Olu Jacobs
Richard Mofe Damijo also turned his attention to one of the acting lessons he received from Jacobs, recalling a principle that remained with him throughout his own career. According to RMD’s recollection, Jacobs emphasised the importance of every actor and every line within a production, rejecting the idea that some performers or parts were too small to matter.
The lesson was captured in the words, “There are no small actors, and there are no small lines.” It was a short statement, but its meaning reached beyond the immediate setting of a production. For RMD, the advice became part of the way he approached acting and understood the responsibility attached to every role, regardless of its size.
Jacobs had spent decades moving through theatre, television and film, so the lesson reflected an understanding shaped by experience rather than theory alone. His career had taken him through international productions before he became one of the defining figures in Nigerian screen entertainment. Such a background gave his advice a particular weight for performers who worked alongside him.
RMD’s recollection therefore added another dimension to the evening. While Sobowale remembered encouragement that helped build confidence, RMD remembered instruction that shaped professional thinking. Together, the memories showed how Jacobs’ influence could take different forms depending on the person standing before him.
Kate Henshaw Remembers His Generosity
Kate Henshaw brought another side of Jacobs into the evening when she remembered his conduct during production. Her recollection focused less on the performances themselves and more on the everyday environment surrounding them, particularly the long hours actors and crew members could spend together while working.
Henshaw remembered Jacobs as someone who came prepared for demanding production days and who would bring food and refreshments for colleagues. Such gestures may appear ordinary when viewed from outside a film set, but long working days can make small acts of consideration particularly memorable. Her account presented Jacobs as someone who paid attention to the people around him rather than remaining focused only on his own performance.
That memory helped move the tribute away from the larger achievements associated with his name and towards the quieter habits that colleagues experienced personally. A celebrated actor could be remembered for awards, major roles and international credits, but Henshaw’s story showed that colleagues also remembered the practical kindness that accompanied his presence.
Her tribute fitted into a wider pattern that emerged during the evening. Again and again, those who spoke about Jacobs returned to the way he treated other people. His legacy was being described not only through the characters he played but through the interactions that took place when cameras were not rolling.
Norbert Young Recalls The Third Eye
Veteran actor Norbert Young brought another important perspective by recalling his experience working with Jacobs on The Third Eye. Their time on the television series gave Young an opportunity to observe Jacobs closely, not merely as a performer but as an experienced actor whose conversations and listening habits influenced people around him.
Young recalled that Jacobs talked extensively during their time working together, while also listening to others. That combination became significant for Young, who said the experience of listening to Jacobs contributed to his own development as an actor. The recollection offered one of the clearest examples of Jacobs’ influence being passed directly from one performer to another.
The story also demonstrated how much of an actor’s legacy can exist outside recorded performances. Viewers may remember a character, a line or a particular scene, but colleagues often remember the conversations that happened before and after those moments. For Young, the lessons were found in the working relationship itself.
The Third Eye therefore became more than a title from Jacobs’ career during the tribute. It became part of a personal story about learning, observation and professional growth, with Young remembering how his experience with Jacobs helped shape the actor he became.
Hilda Dokubo Shares A Kind Memory
Hilda Dokubo also recalled an early experience involving Jacobs and his wife, Joke Silva. She remembered feeling nervous around the respected acting couple, an understandable reaction when working alongside performers who had already established strong reputations within the industry.
Jacobs, according to her recollection, helped her become more comfortable and encouraged her to read with him. The gesture gave her the space to settle into the situation rather than allowing the pressure of the moment to overwhelm her. It was another example of the late actor using his experience to make room for another performer.
Dokubo’s memory was significant because it revealed Jacobs through the eyes of someone who had once stood on the other side of that experience. For an established actor, a young performer’s nervousness might easily pass unnoticed, but Jacobs’ response showed attentiveness to the person sharing the scene with him.
Her story joined the recollections of Sobowale, RMD and Young in presenting Jacobs as an actor whose contribution could be measured through the people he helped develop. His career was visible to millions, but some of his most lasting influence appeared to exist in the confidence and knowledge passed from one performer to another.
Ahmed Yerima Brings A Lighter Memory
Playwright and scholar Ahmed Yerima added a lighter moment to the evening with a story from the stage. His recollection involved a performance with Jacobs during which the veteran actor became so deeply immersed in the scene that Yerima himself lost his lines.
The story brought laughter into an evening otherwise filled with grief and remembrance. It also offered an unusual glimpse into Jacobs’ approach to performance, showing how deeply he could inhabit a scene once the acting began. The intensity that audiences saw on screen or stage was not merely an image created after years of editing and production. Those who worked with him experienced that commitment directly.
Yerima’s memory was valuable because it did not attempt to describe Jacobs through formal achievements. Instead, it captured a moment of genuine interaction between performers, the kind of story that colleagues often carry for years because of the humour attached to it.
Such memories gave the tribute its human texture. There were solemn moments, emotional reflections and formal acknowledgements, but there was also laughter, reminding everyone present that a life in entertainment is ultimately made up of thousands of moments shared with other people.
Soji Jacobs Speaks About His Father
While colleagues spoke about the actor they knew, one of the evening’s most personal reflections came from Olusoji Jacobs, who spoke about the father he knew away from the public spotlight. His account offered a different perspective from the professional memories shared by actors who had worked with Olu Jacobs.
For Soji, his father was simply Dad. The statement carried particular weight because the man known across Africa as Olu Jacobs was, within his own family, not an icon or celebrated actor but a parent whose relationship with his children existed outside the expectations of audiences and the entertainment industry.
Soji also spoke about the closeness they shared and explained how Jacobs deliberately kept his professional life separate from his family life. That separation allowed the family to maintain a degree of privacy even as Jacobs became increasingly recognised as one of Nigeria’s most respected actors.
His words brought the evening back to the family at the centre of the farewell. Behind the public ceremonies, career tributes and photographs stood a wife, children, relatives and friends saying goodbye to someone whose significance to them could never be measured only by awards or film credits.
Joke Silva Stands With Her Family
Joke Silva attended the tribute alongside her sons, Gbenga and Olusoji Jacobs, as the family continued the public farewell to Olu Jacobs following his death on September 16, 2026. Her presence carried its own significance because her life and career had been closely connected with Jacobs for decades, both personally and professionally.
Together, the couple became one of the most recognisable partnerships in Nigerian theatre and film. Their professional journey included the establishment of the Lufodo Group, while their personal relationship became part of the history of the Nigerian entertainment industry.
The tribute therefore represented another chapter in a journey that had included years of theatre, television, film, training and production. For Joke Silva, the occasion was not simply an industry gathering. It was part of saying farewell to her husband, colleague and long time creative partner.
The family’s request for privacy also remained relevant around the ceremonies. Their decision to share selected moments while maintaining boundaries reflected the deeply personal nature of the period following Jacobs’ death.
Yinka Davies Adds Music To The Evening
Music also played an important role during the tribute, with Yinka Davies delivering a soulful, piano assisted medley as part of the programme. Her performance provided a musical dimension to an evening already filled with spoken memories, prayers and reflections.
Davies also had a historical connection with the Jacobs family, having performed at Olu Jacobs and Joke Silva’s 2011 vow renewal celebration. Her appearance at the tribute therefore carried another layer of meaning, connecting an earlier celebration of the couple’s relationship with the farewell taking place 15 years later.
The performance allowed the audience to remember Jacobs through music rather than conversation alone. Such moments often become important during memorial ceremonies because they create space for reflection when words begin to feel insufficient.
The combination of music, candlelight, readings and personal stories gave the evening a rhythm of its own. It moved between celebration and grief, allowing those present to honour Jacobs without reducing his life to the circumstances of his death.
A Career That Crossed Borders
Olu Jacobs was born on July 11, 1942, and died on September 16, 2026, at the age of 84. His career extended far beyond the Nigerian film industry, with professional experience across theatre, television, radio and international film.
He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and worked with major international organisations during his career, including the BBC, National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, Walt Disney, MGM and Universal Pictures. His experience abroad formed part of the foundation for the career he later built in Nigeria.
The Lufodo Group, which he co founded with Joke Silva, records more than 300 Nigerian film appearances connected to his career. That figure illustrates the sheer scale of his presence within Nigerian screen entertainment, particularly for audiences who grew up watching him across different stages of the industry.
His return and continued work in Nigeria also placed him within the development of the country’s creative sector. Through performance, production and training, his contribution moved beyond acting alone, helping create a professional environment in which other performers could learn and develop.
The Honours That Marked His Journey
Jacobs received several major recognitions during his lifetime, including the Member of the Order of the Federal Republic, MFR, in 2011. The national honour recognised his contribution at a point when his career had already established him as one of Nigeria’s prominent actors.
He also won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in 2007. His career later received further recognition through an Industry Merit Award at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2016.
Those honours form part of the official record of his career, but the stories shared at the tribute showed why his influence cannot be understood through awards alone. Sobowale remembered encouragement, RMD remembered instruction, Henshaw remembered generosity, Young remembered learning, while Dokubo remembered kindness.
Together, those memories created a more complete portrait. The awards documented professional achievement, while the testimonies revealed the relationships that existed around the achievements.
The Legacy Beyond The Screen
Jacobs’ legacy has continued through the people who worked with him, learned from him and built their own careers after encountering his influence. The recollections at Glover Memorial Hall repeatedly returned to this idea without needing to present it as a formal speech or slogan.
For Sobowale, it was confidence. For RMD, it was an acting principle. For Young, it was learning through observation and conversation. For Henshaw, it was the generosity shown during long working days. For Dokubo, it was the encouragement that helped ease the pressure of working with respected veterans.
Each memory was different, yet they pointed towards the same broader reality of Jacobs’ career. His professional life was not isolated from the people around him. The work he produced also created relationships, lessons and experiences that remained with colleagues long after individual productions ended.
That is why the Night of Tributes became significant beyond the list of celebrities who attended. The names mattered, but the stories mattered more. They showed how one person’s career could intersect with hundreds of other lives in ways that were not always visible to the public.
The Final Farewell Draws Closer
The September 30 tribute was the first major public ceremony in the family’s announced funeral programme for Jacobs. The evening at Glover Memorial Hall came 2 days before the main funeral service scheduled for Friday, October 2, 2026.
The funeral service is scheduled for 10 a.m. at This Present House, Freedom Way, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, with attendees expected to observe the family’s chosen dress code of shades of green. A private burial is expected to follow the service.
The tribute night carried a different atmosphere because it allowed the entertainment community to speak directly about Jacobs while many of the people who knew him professionally were gathered in one place. The funeral service will move the farewell into another stage, but the memories shared on September 30 have already become part of the public record of how colleagues remembered him.
For those who stood inside Glover Memorial Hall, the evening was ultimately about a man who had spent decades giving audiences characters to remember. Yet the stories that emerged were rarely about characters alone. They were about conversations, encouragement, meals, lessons, laughter, family and moments shared away from the spotlight.
The Man Behind The Icon
Olu Jacobs’ death on September 16, 2026, at 84 brought an end to a career that had stretched across more than 6 decades, but the tribute night showed that his story cannot be reduced to a date of birth, a date of death or a list of awards. His professional journey carried him from international theatre and television to the heart of Nigeria’s film industry, while his personal influence continued through the performers who remembered him with affection.
Sola Sobowale’s story showed how a few words from a respected senior actor could remain powerful years later. RMD’s recollection showed how professional advice could become part of an actor’s working philosophy. Kate Henshaw’s memory showed the importance of ordinary kindness, while Norbert Young’s experience demonstrated the value of learning from someone who had accumulated decades of knowledge.
Soji Jacobs offered perhaps the clearest reminder of all that Olu Jacobs was more than the public figure celebrated by the entertainment industry. To his son, he was Dad. That simple description placed the entire evening into perspective, because behind the actor whose career filled screens and stages was a husband, father, friend and colleague whose absence would be felt most deeply by those who knew him personally.
The Night of Tributes therefore became a gathering where Nigeria’s entertainment community could pause before the final funeral rites and remember the man in their own words. The applause had faded, the cameras had moved away and the formal ceremony had ended, but the stories remained. Through those stories, Olu Jacobs was remembered not only for the roles audiences watched but for the people he encouraged, the lessons he shared, the kindness colleagues experienced and the family who knew him by a name far more personal than his famous stage identity.
As the funeral on October 2 approaches, those memories now stand alongside his decades of work, his international career, his awards and his contribution to Nigerian theatre and film. They form a portrait of Olu Jacobs that belongs not to one production or one generation, but to the many people whose paths crossed his during a remarkable life in the performing arts.
SEE PHOTOS OF NOLLYWOOD STARS AT OLU JACOBS’ TRIBUTE NIGHT
