SWEETEST LOVE STORY IN NIGERIA

Sweetest love story in Nigeria

Author: NWAMGBO JUDE

Almost every one of us enjoy romance. And
everyone has the sweetest love story to tell.
Nigerians have seen their fair share of sweet
couples, each with their own sweetest love story.
However, over time, most couples break up and
fight, and things go sour. But not with this couple.
We are here to tell you the sweetest love story ever
told. This has existed for so long that it is older
than most of the readers of this article.
Are you ready to find out who play the leading roles in
the sweetest love story of all time? If you have been
following Nigerian media for a while, you might have
already guessed. If not, we present you the sweetest
love story ever — the story of Joke Silva and Olu
Jacobs.
About Joke Silva and Olu Jacobs
Before we actually get into their story, let’s take a
moment to find out who they actually are. Bear with
us for a bit, if you already know about them.
Joke Silva biography
Joke Silva is a famous Nigerian director, actress and
businesswoman. She was born on September 29, 1961
in Lagos, Nigeria. She is known for starring in many
films, both in Yoruba and English. Her acting career
spans for almost 30 years, beginning with her first ever
movie Mind Bending in 1990. Since then, she has
appeared on our screens in various roles. Before that,
she used to perform in small productions.
Apart from being an actress, she is also a director at
Malete Film Village, a businesswoman and a
philanthropist. Joke Silva is an avid supporter of the
women’s movement, and she offers her support to
educate and empower Nigerian women.
In her 55 years of life, she has received numerous
awards for her achievements, including several wins
and nominations for Best Actress (both in leading and
supporting roles).
Olu Jacobs biography
Oludotun (or Olu) Jacobs is a veteran Nollywood actor.
He was born on July 11, 1942 in Abeokuta. His career
saw its beginning in the 70s, when he starred in a
number of different English TV shows (Angels, Barlow
at Large. The Tomorrow People and many others.) His
acting portfolio consists of over 120 Nollywood movies
and several dozen British and Nigerian TV series.
In addition to his television and film career, Olu Jacobs
also appeared on stage in the early years of his career,
both in Great Britain and in Nigeria.
His acting career did not go past the critics unnoticed,
which got him several awards and nominations for his
lead and supporting roles in Nollywood. This July, he
will be celebrating his 75th birthday, and he certainly
won’t do it alone.
Yes, you’ve guessed it, we are finally going to tell you
about the beautiful love story of Joke Silva and Olu
Jacobs.
Their love story
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This story began in 1981, the time when a large
portion of our readers weren't even born yet. Joke
Silva and Olu Jacobs crossed paths in the Lagos
National theatre at the celebration of Nigeria’s 21 years
of independence. The actors were preparing for the
play Jero’s Metamorphosis, when they noticed each
other. Joke was to be Sister Rubeka, and Olu was
playing Prophet Jero. Both recollected that it was love
at first sight.
Joke Silva recalled that she has heard of Olu Jacobs
before their meeting, as he was a very successful and
popular UK-based actor at the time. She was
anticipating their meeting, but she probably wasn’t
expecting that this very handsome man would almost
propose her on the spot! When Olu Jacobs saw Joke for
the first time, he knew instantly that he wanted to
marry that woman, which was exactly what he said to
her the moment they met. Isn’t it romantic?
Joke said that their relationship prior to the marriage
was based on friendship and trust. Un addition, she
immensely enjoyed his sense of style and humor. And
you can’t take away the fact that Olu always looked
very dashing, which also contributed to her attraction
to him.
When Olu Jacobs was asked to recall the early days of
their relationship, he compared their love story to a
novel. Before meeting Joke, he was never in a serious
relationship. But one look at Joke Silva was enough for
him to know that he wanted to spend the rest of his
life with her.
He said on numerous occasions that Joke Silva was the
only woman he had eyes for. Since meeting her, he
never looked at another woman in the same way
again.
After four years of a very beautiful and passionate
courtship, the couple got married in 1985. Olu Jacobs
proposed to Joke Silva on the set of a movie called The
Pirate, where he invited her, while she was studying at
the London drama school.
The couple’s life wasn’t always rosy and luxurious.
They had to get through some severe hardships in the
90s, when they could barely afford anything. However,
those times only made their love stronger. They
supported each other through thick and thin and
overcame their difficulties together.
The couple has been together for 32 years, and those
years, both say, are the best years of their lives. In
2011, they renewed their wedding vows, which only
proved that their love didn’t go anywhere after all
these years. Even though they have a very significant
age difference (19 years is no joke), it never mattered.
Olu Jacobs and Joke Silva have two beautiful and smart
boys together, Olugbenga and Olusoji. The kids never
stop making their parents happy with their academic
achievements.
What is curious is that Joke Silva didn’t actually take
her husband’s last name. When people started asking
questions, Olu Jacobs shut everyone up. He said that,
even though they are happily married and share
everything, that did not mean Joke Silva had to be Joke
Jacobs. She is an accomplished woman, who many
know as Joke Silva, which is why she decided to stick
to her name. Her last name does not affect the stability
of their relationship.
Together, they are not only happy, but also successful.
They are in charge of Lufodo Academy, where Olu is
the chairman and Joke is the director of studies.
Lufodo Academy is an educational institution for
aspiring actors. They also own Lufodo Group, which
includes the Academy itself, Lufodo Consult, Lufodo
Distribution and Lufodo Production.
So what is their secret? How did they manage to stay
together for so long and keep the fire of love burning?
The veteran celebrity couple shared some tips on how
to keep love going.
♥ Keep your private life away from the public eye.
Even though they are both famous, they managed to
keep their relationship away from the tabloids. Very
little is known about their family matters, and that is
how it should be.
♥ Have mutual respect. No relationship can work, if
you do not respect each other. We often see on the
news ex-sweetheart bashing one another and calling
each other names. This is what should be avoided in a
working relationship.
♥ Have patience. For any relationship, even non-
romantic one, it is important to have patience and be
forgiving to the other person’s flaws. Of course, you do
not have to forgive major mistakes like cheating or
abuse, but minor character flaws could be overlooked.
And when everything seems too hard, turn to God in
prayers, and He will answer.
♥ Do not take your issues out to the public. Choose
carefully who you want to divulge your family issues
to, as they might not be who you thought they were.
♥ Always have time for family. Everyone is always
too busy for other people. However, you should always
find at least a little bit of time to spend with your
loved ones, no matter what. They will always help you
through the hard times, and share the happy times.
♥ No relationship will work without friendship.
Before being lovers, most long-lasting couples started
out as friends. It is hard to build a relationship
without shared interests and views.
There are a lot more things each of us can learn from
the beautiful love story of Joke Silva and Olu Jacobs. In
the end, it all comes down to mutual connection and
this inconceivable thing called love. We wish them
many more happy years together and to keep showing
us that love actually exists in this world.