Nollywood Mourns As Prof Akinwale Dies

Prof. Ayobami Akinwale, a veteran Nollywood actor and Academician is dead.

News Rain gathered that the actor died following a brief illness on Sunday at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital.

Prof. Akinwale who was famous for his roles in a lot of Nollywood historic movies such as Sango, Ladepo Omo Adanwo, and Iranse Aje, was also the Dean, Faculty of Arts and Culture of the University of Ilorin, where he was also a professor in the Department of Performing Arts.

A versatile producer, academician, playwright, and former broadcaster, late Akinwale was the producer of a popular movie, ‘Sango’. He was also the pioneer board chairman of the University of Ilorin FM.

Akinwale, described as one of the finest voices the institution had ever produced, was a great orator, role model, and mentor to many students who passed through him in the university.

The late actor was also a Movie Producer and an African Movie Academy Award laureate. He was also the Chairman of Oyo State Council for Arts and Culture and judge on several cultural festivals across Nigeria.

He was born in Ibadan, Oyo State, and attended Methodist High School, also in Ibadan.

He graduated from the University of Ibadan before working as a lecturer at The Polytechnic, Ibadan.

He began his acting career in the 1970s featuring television and drama productions.

He won the Best Indigenous Actor Award at the 4th Africa Movie Academy Awards.

Prof Akinwale Had Written Several Books And Articles On Theatre Arts.

Some of his publications include; ‘From Compound Space, to the Living Stage’ Nigerian Theatre Journal. Vol. 2, No. 1. (1998); ‘Theatre and Democracy in Nigeria’ Nigerian Theatre Journal. Vol. 6, No. 1, ‘Nigerian Playright’; Zulu Sofola (2005); ‘The Nigerian Theatre and Economic Viability.’ Arts Administration in Contemporary Nigeria; The Nigeria Broadcaster’ Media Nigeria; ‘The Theatre and Nigeria’s New Democratic Environment: A Sociological Overview,’ and many more.

He won the Best Indigenous actor award at the 4th Africa Movie Academy Awards. He featured in quite a number of movies as an actor and producer; he has produced many home videos in Nigeria. He featured in movies such as; Sango, Ladepo Omo Adanwo, Clash of the Gods, Iranse Aje, Eti Keta among others.

Prof Akinwale’s contribution to the theatre and movie industry in Nigeria gave him the leverage of being assigned South-West Zonal Co-ordinator for the Abuja Carnivals, and also a judge for the National Festival for Arts and Culture (NAFEST).