Olu Jacobs’ Funeral Dates Set As Pete Edochie Pays Emotional Tribute
The family of veteran Nigerian actor Olu Jacobs has announced funeral arrangements for the late screen icon, as colleague Pete Edochie paid an emotional tribute to the actor and praised his widow for standing by him during his final years.
Jacobs died on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, aged 84, after a career spanning more than five decades across theatre, television and film.
The family has scheduled a Night of Tributes for Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at Glover Memorial Hall, Marina, Lagos Island, beginning at 4:00 p.m.
Guests attending the Night of Tributes have been asked to appear in shades of blue as friends, colleagues and admirers gather to celebrate Jacobs’ life and contribution to Nigeria’s creative industry.
The funeral service will take place on Friday, October 2, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at This Present House, Freedom Way, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.
The dress code for the funeral service is shades of green, with the burial expected to follow privately.
The announcement brings a formal schedule to the farewell ceremonies for Jacobs, whose death generated tributes from colleagues, filmmakers, political leaders and audiences following his passing.
Jacobs was born on Saturday, July 11, 1942, and died on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, making him 84 years old at the time of his death.
His death was announced by his son, who described him as “The Lion of Lufodo” while appealing to the public to respect the family’s privacy during the mourning period.
Jacobs built a career that crossed theatre, television and film, including professional experience in Britain before returning to Nigeria and becoming one of the prominent figures of the country’s acting industry.
He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and worked with institutions including the BBC and Royal Shakespeare Company before returning to Nigeria.
His career later extended beyond acting through his partnership with his wife in the Lufodo Group and the Lufodo Academy of Performing Arts, which contributed to film production, distribution and training in the creative sector.
Jacobs also received several recognitions during his career, including the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role and the national honour of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic.
While the funeral programme was being announced, Edochie released an emotional tribute reflecting on his friendship with Jacobs and the challenges the late actor faced during the final years of his life.
Edochie described Jacobs as a peaceful and humorous colleague and remembered him as a brother who remained strong through his prolonged health difficulties.
“Olu, my brother, you fought like a man and like a soldier,” Edochie said in his tribute.
He also expressed sympathy for Jacobs’ widow over the six-year period she had spent dealing with his health challenges.
“Joke, I commiserate with you for what you have endured over a period of six years,” Edochie said.
Edochie urged the family to celebrate Jacobs’ life despite the grief surrounding his death, stressing that his colleague had left behind a significant legacy.
He described Jacobs as “a humorous personality” and “a very peaceful colleague”, while recalling the private bond shared between the late actor, his wife and himself.
Edochie also expressed the hope that one of Jacobs’ children would eventually take up acting and thereby preserve a visible connection with the actor’s legacy.
“My one prayer is that one of Olu’s children takes to acting,” Edochie said, adding that such a step would help future audiences remember what Jacobs meant to the acting profession.
The tribute also reflected on the inevitability of death, with Edochie recalling the long careers and eventual passing of members of their generation.
He said, “Something must kill a man,” while reflecting that the timing of death ultimately rests with God.
Edochie further recalled that the final six years of Jacobs’ life had not unfolded as they had expected, but maintained that the veteran actor had fought through his difficulties.
Jacobs’ widow had previously spoken publicly about his health challenges, including his diagnosis of dementia with Lewy bodies, a degenerative neurological condition.
The health disclosure provided public context for the prolonged difficulties referenced by Edochie, although the family maintained its privacy around Jacobs’ condition and repeatedly appealed against speculation surrounding his health.
The funeral programme now provides two key dates for those wishing to honour Jacobs in Lagos, beginning with the Night of Tributes on September 30 and followed by the funeral service on October 2.
The choice of blue for the Night of Tributes and green for the funeral service forms part of the family’s formal arrangements for the ceremonies.
For the Nigerian film industry, the events will provide an opportunity to remember an actor whose career connected British theatre and television with Nigeria’s developing film industry.
Jacobs’ professional journey included stage, television and film work, while his later activities with the Lufodo Group and Lufodo Academy extended his contribution into production, distribution and the training of performers.
As the entertainment industry prepares to gather in Lagos, Edochie’s tribute has added a personal dimension to the farewell, recalling not only Jacobs’ professional achievements but also the friendship and shared history between members of his generation.
The Night of Tributes will hold on Wednesday, September 30, at 4:00 p.m. at Glover Memorial Hall, Marina, Lagos Island, while the funeral service will hold on Friday, October 2, at 10:00 a.m. at This Present House, Freedom Way, Lekki Phase 1.
The funeral service will be followed by a private burial, according to the announced programme.
As colleagues, friends, family members and admirers prepare to bid Jacobs farewell, the ceremonies are expected to mark the final public chapter of the life and career of one of Nigeria’s most recognised veteran actors.
