Reported by Mustapha Omolabake Omowumi, Managing Editor | Sele Media Malawi.
Veteran Nollywood actress Patience Ozokwo has expressed deep sadness over her absence from the funeral of her longtime colleague, Olu Jacobs, saying contractual obligations on a film production in Ghana prevented her from returning to Nigeria to pay her final respects to the late acting legend.
Ozokwo, popularly known as “Mama G,” shared her grief as the Nigerian entertainment industry gathered in Lagos on Friday, October 2, 2026, to bid farewell to Jacobs, who died on September 16 at the age of 84.
In a tribute reported by Ghanaian news outlet Adom Online, Ozokwo said it “hurts” her that she could not be physically present at the funeral. She explained that she was in Ghana filming with Kumawood actor Lil Win and was unable to leave the production because of contractual commitments.
The actress said she would have preferred to be in Nigeria for the occasion but had to remain in Ghana because of the obligations attached to her ongoing professional engagement.
Her absence, however, did not prevent her from publicly expressing her respect for Jacobs and extending her thoughts and prayers to his family, friends and colleagues who gathered in Lagos for the final farewell.
Ozokwo: Absence Was Not a Choice
The circumstances surrounding Ozokwo’s absence are significant because the actress has maintained a long professional association with Jacobs and belongs to the generation of performers who helped shape Nigeria’s modern film industry.
According to Adom Online, Ozokwo said her inability to attend was not a decision to stay away from the funeral but a consequence of contractual responsibilities connected to the Ghanaian production.
“I would give anything to be there at this moment, but contractual obligations will not allow me to be,” she said in her tribute, according to the report.
The statement provides context to what might otherwise have been interpreted simply as the absence of a prominent Nollywood figure from one of the industry’s most significant funerals in recent years.
Ozokwo’s message also underscored the difficulty of saying goodbye from a distance. She expressed her desire to stand alongside Jacobs’ family and colleagues during the funeral but acknowledged that professional commitments prevented her from making the journey.
Her words reflected the emotional connection that existed between members of Nollywood’s older generation, many of whom spent decades working together across hundreds of productions.
For an industry built heavily around professional relationships and long-standing collaborations, the death of a figure such as Jacobs represents not only the loss of an individual actor but also the closing of an important chapter in Nigeria’s entertainment history.
Olu Jacobs’ Final Farewell in Lagos
While Ozokwo remained in Ghana, Jacobs was laid to rest in Lagos following a funeral service at This Present House Church on Freedom Way, Lekki Phase 1.
Channels Television reported that family members, friends, colleagues and dignitaries attended the service before Jacobs’ remains were taken to the burial site. Among those present were Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, actors Kate Henshaw, Stan Nze and Ernest Obi, while singer and entertainment entrepreneur Dare Art Alade performed at the ceremony.
QED also reported that the funeral followed a Night of Tributes and Service of Songs held at Glover Memorial Hall on September 30, where several prominent Nollywood personalities gathered to celebrate Jacobs’ life and career.
The funeral programme marked the culmination of a period of mourning that began with the announcement of Jacobs’ death in September.
The veteran actor’s family had earlier appealed to the public, particularly bloggers and social media influencers, to respect its privacy during the mourning period.
Jacobs’ death was announced by his son, Olusoji Jacobs, who described him as “The Lion of Lufodo.” The family’s announcement identified him as Oludotun Baiyewun Jacobs and confirmed that he died on September 16, 2026, aged 84.
A Career That Crossed Generations
Olu Jacobs’ significance to Nigerian entertainment extends well beyond his work in Nollywood.
Born on July 11, 1942, Jacobs developed an interest in acting while growing up in Kano before travelling to Britain, where he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.
His early professional career included theatre and television work in Britain. He appeared in productions such as The Goodies, Till Death Us Do Part and Barlow at Large, among other television and stage productions.
After returning to Nigeria, Jacobs became one of the defining figures in the country’s emerging film and television industry.
His career eventually spanned more than five decades and included theatre, television and film, with audiences becoming familiar with his commanding screen presence and performances in roles ranging from traditional rulers and political figures to fathers and other authoritative characters.
The BBC, reporting his death in September, described Jacobs as one of Nigeria’s best-known actors whose career covered several decades across theatre, television and film. The broadcaster also noted his work in British television and his later importance to Nollywood.
Premium Times similarly described Jacobs’ career as a five-decade journey that took him from Kano to professional theatre and television in Britain and eventually to the Nigerian film industry, where he became one of Nollywood’s most recognisable veterans.
His contribution was recognised through several honours, including Nigeria’s national honour of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic, MFR.
He also received major industry recognition during the later years of his career, further reflecting the influence he had on generations of Nigerian performers.
A Professional Relationship Built Over Decades
For Patience Ozokwo, the loss of Jacobs carries particular significance because the two actors were part of the same generation that helped establish Nollywood as a major cultural and entertainment force.
Their professional paths crossed at a time when Nigerian home-video productions were becoming increasingly popular across the country and throughout the African continent.
Ozokwo has previously spoken publicly about Jacobs’ importance to the film industry.
In 2022, during Jacobs’ 80th birthday celebration, she described him as an actor whose versatility made him difficult to replace. The Nation reported at the time that Ozokwo said she missed working with him and praised his ability to convincingly portray different kinds of characters.
That earlier assessment provides additional context to her current grief.
Her latest tribute comes after she had already spoken publicly about the emotional difficulty of losing fellow actors and watching members of her generation age.
In September, before Jacobs’ death, Ozokwo spoke about her feelings regarding his condition and the loss of other Nollywood colleagues, including Sam Loco Efe and John Okafor, popularly known as Mr Ibu.
Pulse Nigeria reported that Ozokwo reflected on how deeply the deaths of longtime colleagues affected her and said she found it particularly difficult to think about Jacobs’ situation.
Those remarks now take on additional significance following Jacobs’ death.
From Concern to Farewell
Ozokwo’s September reflections demonstrated the personal weight that the passing of longtime colleagues has carried for her.
She recalled the death of Sam Loco Efe and the emotional impact it had on her, as well as the death of Mr Ibu in 2024.
Her comments were part of a broader reflection on the passage of time within Nollywood and the loss of actors with whom she shared important periods of her career.
Jacobs’ death has now added another major name to that generation.
His passing followed years in which he had largely withdrawn from active public life. His wife, veteran actress Joke Silva, had previously spoken publicly about his health challenges, including dementia with Lewy bodies.
However, the focus following his death has largely shifted to his artistic contribution, family life and the legacy he left within Nigerian theatre, television and film.
The funeral in Lagos provided an opportunity for colleagues and admirers to publicly celebrate that legacy.
A Legacy Beyond the Screen
Jacobs’ influence was not limited to acting.
He and Joke Silva co-founded the Lufodo Group and the Lufodo Academy of Performing Arts, institutions associated with film production, distribution and training in the performing arts.
Through these activities, the couple contributed to the development of professionals beyond their own performances.
Channels Television reported that Jacobs’ career included British theatre and television before he became one of the leading figures in Nollywood. The broadcaster also noted his training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and his subsequent return to Nigeria, where he became widely recognised for his work.
His career therefore represented an unusual bridge between British theatre and television and Nigeria’s evolving film industry.
That background helped give Jacobs a distinctive place in Nigerian popular culture.
For many viewers, his presence on screen represented authority, experience and professionalism. For younger actors, his career offered an example of how stage training, television experience and film performance could combine to create a long-lasting artistic career.
The Funeral and the Industry’s Tribute
The October 2 funeral demonstrated the breadth of Jacobs’ professional relationships.
QED reported that the September 30 Night of Tributes attracted figures including Richard Mofe-Damijo, Sola Sobowale, Funke Akindele, Jide Kosoko, Adebayo Salami, Kate Henshaw, Hilda Dokubo, Segun Arinze, Rita Dominic, Emeka Ike, Femi Adebayo, Desmond Elliot and other entertainment personalities.
The gathering reflected the different generations of Nollywood that Jacobs influenced.
The ceremony also included personal recollections and performances, allowing colleagues and family members to reflect on the actor’s life away from the screen.
At the main funeral service, Dare Art Alade performed “Pray for Me”, while Jacobs’ son Olugbenga presented his father’s biography, according to QED.
The final rites therefore served not simply as a farewell but also as a public acknowledgement of the actor’s contribution to Nigeria’s creative heritage.
Ozokwo’s Message From Ghana
Although Patience Ozokwo was physically absent, her message placed her emotionally within the gathering.
She expressed her thoughts and prayers for Jacobs’ family, friends and colleagues and wished for peaceful funeral proceedings.
Her message also recognised that Jacobs’ contribution would endure beyond his burial.
That sentiment is consistent with the broader reaction to his death, which has centred on the body of work he left behind and the generations of performers and audiences touched by his career.
For Ozokwo, missing the funeral may have meant being absent from the physical farewell, but her public tribute ensured that her voice joined those mourning Jacobs.
The circumstances also highlight a reality familiar to working performers: professional commitments can sometimes conflict with important personal and social obligations.
In Ozokwo’s case, her decision to honour her contractual commitment in Ghana meant that she could not join colleagues in Lagos. Her statement made clear, however, that her absence should not be interpreted as a lack of respect for the deceased.
A Farewell That Crossed Borders
Olu Jacobs’ final farewell brought together Nigeria’s entertainment community in Lagos, while Patience Ozokwo’s tribute came from Ghana, where she was working.
The geographical distance did little to diminish the significance of her message.
Jacobs’ career itself crossed national and cultural boundaries, beginning in Nigeria, continuing through professional training and work in Britain, and eventually returning to Nigeria, where he became one of the central figures of Nollywood.
His influence similarly extended beyond borders, as Nigerian cinema developed an increasingly international audience.
The outpouring of tributes following his death and the attendance at his funeral demonstrate the breadth of that influence.
For Ozokwo, who shared part of that journey with him, the farewell is therefore more than the closing of a funeral programme. It is the loss of a colleague with whom she shared an important chapter of Nigerian entertainment history.