Legendary Nollywood actor, Pete Edochie, has paid glowing tribute to late colleague, Olu Jacobs, describing him as a peaceful and humorous personality.

Edochie, in an emotional video tribute to the late legend, also commiserated with his wife, Joke Silva, over the challenges she endured during his prolonged illness.

“Olu, my brother, you fought like a man.

“Joke, I commiserate with you for what you had to endure over a period of six years,” he said.

Edochie described Jacobs as a very humorous and peaceful colleague, recalling his distinctive personality and the impact he had on those around him.

He said although Jacobs’ death was painful, his life should also be celebrated.

“While we must mourn that Olu has gone, we should also be glad and celebrate Olu’s life.

“Of all our seniour colleagues who have gone, Olu was the only person who got up to 80 and beyond.

“The Good Book allows us three scores and 10, that is 70. Olu earned 14 years on top of that,” he said.

Edochie, however, acknowledged that the final six years of Jacobs’ life had not been what they had expected.

“Unfortunately, the past six years were not what we had projected or expected in any way.

“Like I said a thousand times, if God says it is time, then it is time,” he said.

The veteran actor expressed hope that one of Jacobs’ children would take up acting, saying this would help preserve the memory and legacy of the late actor.

“My one prayer is that one of Olu’s children takes to acting, so that whenever we look at him, we remember what Olu meant to all of us,” Edochie said.

He described Jacobs as the most seniour among their colleagues, and adding that the late actor treated everyone he interacted with accordingly.

Edochie also recalled words Jacobs had shared with his wife, urging Silva to hold on to them as she navigated life after his death.

“Joke, I want you to remember Olu’s words. Your problems are firmly behind you,” he said.

He ended the tribute with a reflection on the possibility of meeting Jacobs again after death.

“Joke, take care. Olu, well, if it is true that people recognise one another after they have gone, then there is a possibility that we will meet again,” Edochie said.

Jacobs died on Sept.16 at the age of 84, with his passing prompting   tributes from colleagues, political leaders and other Nigerians who acknowledged his contributions to theatre, television and the Nigerian film industry.

Among other feats, he was a recipient of several awards, including the national honour of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR).(NAN)

British singer Jorja Smith has revealed that her collaboration with Nigerian star Wizkid on the track “Alive” originally belonged to the Afrobeats artiste before she took it on.

In a recent interview shared by AlbumTalksHQ on X on Wednesday, Smith explained the origins of the song, which appears on her new album.

‎“That’s actually the oldest song on the album because we did, that’s one of the first songs we started and Wiz had his verse and then going off the back of what he was saying it just, it was just reminding me of like driving down to meet someone.

‎“Like yeah and I don’t know there’s like a driving force in the song, a pull and yeah it was making me think of like the initial meeting, first chatting to someone’s stages, that vibe,” she said.

‎Smith described the track as being about finding new fresh love, noting that the music video was shot in Paris.

“I really like this song, it’s amazing. It’s about kind of finding new fresh love. Also the music video was in Paris, so it’s like love in the air,” she added.

‎Asked why Wizkid was the right feature for the song, the singer pointed to producer P2J’s earlier work.

‎“So P2J had that song with Wiz already and then I’d heard it and then I was, yeah,” she stated.

The British artiste further reflected on how the existing verse from Wizkid guided the direction of the record, turning what began as an early studio idea into a finished piece that captures the excitement and pull of a new connection.

‎She noted that the song’s driving energy and sense of movement stemmed directly from the Nigerian star’s contribution, making it a natural fit for the themes of fresh love running through the project.

‎The track “Alive” stands as a seamless blend of Smith’s soulful delivery and Wizkid’s signature Afrobeats flair, with the pair capturing the rush of new romance in a collaboration that began as the Nigerian star’s own idea before evolving into one of the standout moments on her latest album.

The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA) and Reproduction Rights Society of Nigeria (REPRONIG) have joined forces to combat piracy and other copyright infringement in the South-East and South-South zones.

The organisations stated this during an Awareness Workshop on Reproduction Rights Management and Copyright Advocacy organised for members of the NPA on Wednesday in Enugu.

The programme which began with a road walk at Independence Layout was aimed at sensitising members of the public to the dangers of piracy and the need to respect the rights of authors, publishers and other creative professionals.

Commandant, NCC Enugu Command, Macfoy Akachukwu, said the initiative was designed to create awareness about the rights of writers and publishers and discourage copyright infringement.

Akachukwu warned individuals and organisations involved in piracy to desist, stressing that the commission would arrest and prosecute offenders.

“The law is very clear. We have been creating awareness on these issues, and stakeholders in the copyright industry already know that it is wrong to infringe on anybody’s copyright.

“Over the years, arrests have been made. In the last 15 years, we have taken infringing items worth over N10 billion out of the system,” he said.

He urged members of the public to desist from activities that involved piracy or infringement of other people’s intellectual works.

Also speaking, Dr Uchenna Anioke, a member of the Board of REPRONIG, described the collaboration among the three organisations as an important step toward strengthening copyright protection in Nigeria.

Anioke explained that REPRONIG manages the rights of writers and publishers and welcomed the partnership aimed at improving copyright awareness and rights management.

Congratulating the organisations for the initiative, Anioke described the workshop as a demonstration of synergy and partnership within the Nigerian copyright ecosystem.

“So on behalf of the Chairman, REPRONIG, Mr Gbadega Adedapo and board members, I welcome you all to this collaborative initiative,” he said.

He said the awareness campaign was important because many people were unaware that unauthorised reproduction and downloading of copyrighted materials constituted infringement.

Anioke, who is also a member of Executive Committee International Publishers Association, said the workshop would also produce a roadmap and action plan for addressing copyright infringement across the South-East and South-South.

According to him, piracy is widespread, including in some small-scale printing establishments where publishers’ works are allegedly reproduced without authorisation.

On his part, the National Deputy President, NPA East, Dr Jesse Odu, said the workshop was organised to draw national attention to the dangers piracy posed to the publishing industry.

Odu alleged that pirates had taken over about 70 per cent of the publishing business, describing publishing as an “endangered species” in Nigeria.

He called on the Federal Government to provide more support, particularly logistics, to the NCC to enable its operatives to effectively tackle copyright infringement.

Odu also appealed to parents and schools, including public and private institutions, to stop patronising pirated books and other intellectual works.

The national deputy vice president said piracy was not only destroying intellectual property, but also affecting the economy and contributing to job losses in the publishing industry.

He urged Nigerians to support the fight against piracy, stressing that protecting intellectual property would encourage writers and publishers to continue producing quality works.

Odu said copyright operatives in the South-East were willing to work but needed the support of government and other stakeholders to effectively discharge their responsibilities.(NAN)