By Adebayo Obajemu
Nigeria’s veteran actor and scholar, Professor Adekola Akangbe Gabriel Oyewo, popularly known as Professor Kola Oyewo is dead. He died at the age 80.
The news of his demise was announced on Friday by his son, Adetoyese Oyewo, through a message shared on Facebook, where he paid tribute to the late actor’s life and achievements.
In the announcement, Adetoyese described his father as a man whose life was marked by “love, wisdom, strength and kindness,” expressing deep sorrow over the loss.
“It is with a heavy heart that I share the passing of my beloved father,” he wrote.
He said that although the family was grieving, they remained grateful for the life Professor Oyewo lived and the impact he made on countless individuals throughout his lifetime.
According to him, the late actor’s legacy would continue through the memories shared by family members, friends, colleagues and admirers whose lives he influenced.
Adetoyese also appealed for prayers and support for the family during the mourning period, saying they were celebrating a life dedicated to service, learning and the arts.
Professor Oyewo was widely recognised as one of Nigeria’s leading figures in theatre and performing arts, earning respect both as an accomplished actor and as an academic.
Over several decades, he contributed significantly to the development and preservation of Yoruba theatre, while also helping to promote Nigerian culture through his work on stage, screen and in the classroom.
His career spanned acting, teaching and cultural advocacy, making him a prominent voice in the growth of theatre arts in Nigeria.
The late Oyewo was born on 27 March 1946 at Oba Ile, a town in Osun State, southwestern Nigeria.
He attended Obafemi Awolowo University where he obtained a certificate in dramatic arts, a certificate in Yoruba oral literature before he later received a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Theatre art from the same university in 1995.
He proceeded to the University of Ibadan where he received a Master of Arts (M.A.) and doctorate degree (Ph.D.) in drama.
He began acting as a professional in 1964 after he joined the “Oyin Adejobi theatre group” and the first role he played was Adejare in Orogun Adedigba, which was Oyin Adejobi’s autobiography.
After he spent nine years with Oyin Adejobi, he joined the University of Ife theatre, where he worked with the late veteran dramatist and scholar, chief Ola Rotimi.
Kola Oyewo was known for the role he played as “Odewale” in The Gods Are Not To Blamed, a drama by Ola Rotimi.
In 1996, Oyewo joined the services of Obafemi Awolowo University, where he rose to the rank of senior lecturer before retiring in September 2011.
After his retirement from Obafemi Awolowo University, he joined the services of Redeemer’s University, where he served as head of the department of dramatic arts. He also worked at Elizade University Ilara-Mokin, Ondo State as a performing arts lecturer.