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Nollywood Mourns Death Of Veteran Actor, Jimi Solanke

The death of Veteran actor, Jimi Solanke, has thrown the Nigerian movie industry into mourning.

His demise was announced on Monday at the age of 81.

He is understood to have passed on while he was being taken to the Babcock University Teaching Hospital from his country home at Ipara Remo.

Solanke has been in and out of hospital since December until his death on Monday morning.

His death was confirmed in a statement by Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State.

While mourning Solanke, who from hails Ipara-Remo in Remo North Local Government Area of the Ogun State, Governor Abiodun condoled with the family, describing the death as a colossal loss to the theatre community in the state.

In a statement, Abiodun said the late Solanke had “consistently put the name of the state in the limelight for very good reasons, especially in the arts right from his days at the University of Ibadan School of Drama”.

The governor urged relatives and other loved ones of the late poet to celebrate his life and ensure that the many legacies he left behind are preserved even for generations yet unborn.

“Renowned for his tireless dedication to the arts, Baba Agba as he was widely known by his numerous fans across the country was a great ambassador of our dear state. He promoted the culture and tradition of the Yoruba race on the global stage with his drama, music, poetry, and other works of art.

“In 1961, he emerged as one of the pioneer members of the Orisun Theatre Group, founded by Professor Wole Soyinka. He went on to put in several decades of diverse exposure and experiences into the global entertainment industry across several broadcast stations, countries, and festivals, impacting the sector greatly.”

He is widely known for Kongi’s Harvest, Sango, Shadow Parties, etc.

He was also referred to as Uncle Jimi.