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. They stayed together for more than four decades.
Two actors, one stage
Olu Jacobs trained in London and worked in British theatre and television before returning to Nigeria. Joke Silva was a young stage actress. Together they became two of the most respected names in Nollywood, often playing opposite each other.
The Lufodo Group
The couple founded the Lufodo Group, which includes a production company and an academy of performing arts in Lagos. Generations of Nigerian actors trained there, and the business kept them working side by side long after many of their contemporaries had retired.
Care and farewell
In 2021 Joke announced that Olu had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, and she spoke openly about caring for him. Olu Jacobs died on 16 September 2026, aged 84. Tributes across Nigeria described the marriage as one of the steadiest in Nigerian entertainment.
