When Joke Silva married Olu Jacobs in 1985, some people doubted the match. He was 44, she was 24, and her father was reportedly against it. Four decades later, their marriage was one of the most admired in Nigerian entertainment.
Olu Jacobs died on 16 September 2026, aged 84. For many Nigerians, the news brought tributes to his career and to the partnership he and his wife had built.
Two actors
Olu Jacobs trained and worked in theatre and television in Britain before returning to Nigeria, where he became one of the founding figures of Nollywood. His deep voice and commanding presence made him a natural choice for kings, chiefs and fathers.
Joke Silva was a respected stage and screen actress in her own right, known for her elegance and her work in theatre as well as film.
The age gap
The twenty-year difference in their ages drew comment when they married. Silva has spoken about how her father rejected Jacobs at first while her mother accepted him, and about how the marriage proved the doubters wrong.
Working together
The couple often appeared together on screen and worked together behind the scenes. They founded the Lufodo Group, which included a film production company and an academy of performing arts in Lagos, training young actors.
In sickness
In 2021, Silva announced that Jacobs had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, a progressive disease of the brain. She spoke openly about his illness and about caring for him, and she urged other families to seek help for loved ones with dementia.
Her devotion during his illness moved many Nigerians, and she was praised for honouring her wedding vows in the hardest way.
His death
Jacobs’s death was announced by his son in the early hours of 16 September. Tributes poured in from actors, politicians and fans. The family announced a programme of funeral events, beginning with a night of tributes in Lagos.
What couples can learn
Their marriage offers a few quiet lessons: respect each other’s work, build something together, and stay when the story becomes difficult. None of it is glamorous, and all of it is rare.
“In sickness and in health”
Couples say those words on their wedding day without imagining what they might mean. Joke Silva lived them for five years, beside the man she married at 24, and Nigeria watched her do it.
