Nollywood actress Sola Sobowale has paid an emotional tribute to late veteran actor Olu Jacobs, crediting the celebrated thespian with helping to shape her acting career and professional growth.

Sobowale made the disclosure on Wednesday, September 30, during the Night of Tributes held in honour of Jacobs at Glover Memorial Hall on Lagos Island, Lagos. The event brought together family members, friends, colleagues and several generations of Nigerian actors to celebrate the life and career of the late screen icon.

Speaking about the qualities that helped her become one of Nigeria’s recognised actresses, Sobowale said her success was influenced by people who invested their knowledge and experience in her, particularly Jacobs.

She described the late actor as a man of knowledge and wisdom who was generous with his experience, recalling how he guided her at different points in her career.

Sobowale, popularly remembered by many television viewers for her role as Toyin Tomato in the long-running Super Story series, explained that Jacobs’ guidance went beyond acting techniques. According to her, his gestures and manner of correcting her often communicated lessons that required intelligence and careful attention to understand.

She recalled how Jacobs would caution her whenever she brought problems to him, using the late actor’s familiar hand gesture to demonstrate the way he would respond.

For Sobowale, those seemingly simple moments represented the wisdom and mentorship she associated with Jacobs, whose influence extended beyond his performances on stage and screen.

Her tribute was part of an emotional evening during which several prominent figures from Nigeria’s entertainment industry reflected on Jacobs’ professional discipline, generosity and influence on younger performers.

Another veteran, Adebayo Salami, popularly known as Oga Bello, also recalled his first encounter with Jacobs and the impact the actor had on one of his projects.

Salami recounted how he first met Jacobs in the late 1990s after deciding to approach him about a film script titled Okunfa. He said Jacobs asked to see the script and later visited him after reading it.

According to Salami, Jacobs offered suggestions that improved the project and demonstrated the depth of his experience as a professional actor.

Salami described Jacobs as someone who approached his work with the mindset of a father and a professional, while urging the late actor’s children to continue preserving his name and legacy.

The Night of Tributes attracted a broad representation of Nollywood, including Richard Mofe-Damijo, Funke Akindele, Jide Kosoko, Kate Henshaw, Hilda Dokubo, Norbert Young, Femi Adebayo and Afeez Oyetoro, popularly known as Saka. Government representatives and other members of the creative community were also present.

Jacobs, whose full name was Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs, died on September 16, 2026, at the age of 84. His death was announced by his family through his son, Olusoji Jacobs.

The actor, widely known as the “Lion of Lufodo”, had a career spanning theatre, television and film. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London before returning to Nigeria, where he became one of the country’s most prominent actors and a major influence on successive generations of performers.

As tributes continue, Sobowale’s account adds another dimension to Jacobs’ legacy — not only as an accomplished actor, but also as a mentor whose knowledge and professional guidance helped shape other talents within Nigeria’s entertainment industry.

Reporting by TalkNaijaMedia