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By Bianca Iboma-Emefu
Actors, producers and other industry stakeholders have described the late thespian, Olu Jacobs as not only an accomplished personality, but also a mentor, teacher and uncompromising professional whose influence extended to generations of performers.
Speaking at his funeral service in Lagos recently, many of those who worked with Jacobs, agreed that his greatest contribution was not the number of memorable characters he played, but the standards he demanded from those who came after him.
To Richard Mofe-Damijo, Jacobs was a “mentor, a friend, a father, a teacher and a colleague all rolled into one. It was on his back that I stood to develop my creative talent.”
RMD added that Jacobs was among the few people who encouraged him to become the actor he is today. He urged Jacobs’ family to remain courageous, while calling on younger actors to preserve the discipline and commitment to craft that defined the late thespian.
Another long-time collaborator, Patrick Doyle, described Jacobs as a warm but demanding professional who refused to compromise his standards.
“He was a very pleasant person to work with, and at the same time, a very strict person. He has very high standards and doesn’t lower them,” the actor cum presenter said.
For Doyle, that uncompromising approach was central to Jacobs’ legacy.
“He was a standard bearer for the movie industry in Nigeria,” he stated, while identifying Jacobs’ decision to leave behind opportunities in Hollywood and commit himself to Nigerian motion pictures as one of his greatest sacrifices for the industry.
Segun Arinze also recalled Jacobs as a father figure and teacher whose influence went beyond the screen. “He was a great teacher, father, mentor and I am privileged to work with him,” he said, reflecting on the stage and screen productions they shared.
Jacobs’ contribution to the industry also took an institutional form. Together with his wife, veteran actress Joke Silva, he established the Lufodo Group and Lufodo Academy of Performing Arts, creating platforms for professional training and development in Nigeria’s performing arts sector.
The institutions became part of the couple’s wider contributions to building a more professional entertainment industry, while his reputation for discipline and excellence earned him the enduring nickname, “The Lion of Lufodo.”
Jacobs’ funeral service brought together colleagues, political figures and members of the entertainment industry who paid tribute to his career and influence.
Entertainment entrepreneur Darey Art Alade performed his hit song, Pray for Me, whose music video features Jacobs and Silva, providing an emotional reminder of the couple’s long-standing partnership in both life and the arts.
Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, also joined in the tributes, describing Jacobs as a man who believed in Nigeria’s potential despite the country’s challenges.
In their tributes, Norbert Young and Keppy Ekpeyong remembered a colleague whose presence influenced the industry both professionally and personally.
Jacobs’ career spanned theatre, television and film, with performances that helped define different eras of Nigerian entertainment. But the tributes surrounding his death have increasingly focused on what he built beyond individual performances: a culture of professionalism, mentorship and higher expectations for Nigerian actors.
For a generation that followed him, the legacy of Olu Jacobs is therefore not confined to the characters he portrayed. It is also the standard he set – after choosing to bring his experience and talent home and help build an industry whose performers could stand confidently on their own stage.
