Ibadan Born Nollywood Actor, Prof. Ayobami Akinwale is dead

It was gathered that the Ibadan born thespian died yesterday, Sunday, September 13th, 2020, shortly after a brief illness.

Prof. Ayobami Akinwale was born in the early 50s to the royal household of Pa Akinwale in the ancient City of Ibadan where he began his education at the St. Lukes Demonstration School, Molete Ibadan, Oyo State, and then proceeded to Methodist High School also in Ibadan, where he was introduced to theater arts.

The deceased who starred in movies like Sango (1997),Ladepo Omo Adanwo (2005), Iranse Aje (2007) and many others, was also a professor in the department of The Performing Arts at the University of Ilorin, Ilorin.

Akinwale was not only a veteran actor but a movie producer and an academician and arguably one of the best actors in Nollywood we ever had. He featured in several radio and television programmes and and also home movies.

He was a laureate of the African Movie Academy Award (AMAA) in 2015, became the chairman of Oyo State Council for Arts and Culture and chosen as a judge on several cultural festivals across Nigeria

Prof Akinwale in his lifetime, wrote many books and articles on Theatre Art. 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.

The late veteran was a recipient of many honours and awards. He won the Best Indigenous actor award at the 4th Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) and has remained prominent on issues regarding Arts in Nigeria.