[1] Robinson was born on September 27, 1940, at Bodo, a village in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State, southwestern Nigeria, into the family of an Ifá priest.

He obtained a bachelor's degree in botany from University of Nigeria, Nsukka (1962-1966) in the early 1960s before joining the Nigerian film industry.

[4] He also played the lead role in The Village Headmaster, Nigeria's longest-running television soap opera from 1968 to 1988, scripted by Olusegun Olusola.

[7] According to Vanguard, a veteran Nigerian film actor, Prince Jide Kosoko, said in his tribute, "Femi Robinson was a true professional.

[8][9] The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, conveyed his condolences to Robinson's family in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati.