[3][4][5] Trained at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, England, Olu Jacobs worked with various repertoire theatres in Britain and starred in some international movies.

He spent his early childhood in Kano[10] and attended Holy Trinity School where he was a member of the debating and drama societies.

[11] He was inspired to take a chance with acting when he attended one of Chief Hubert Ogunde's annual concert party at Colonial Hotel in Kano.

One of his earliest stage roles was to play the part of The Boy in 'A Taste of Honey' at the newly opened Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, in 1972.

He then appeared in various British television shows and series in the 1970s (including The Goodies, Till Death Us Do Part, Barlow at Large, The Venturers, Angels, 1990, The Tomorrow People and The Professionals).

Rumours that Jacob had died circulated in 2021, until he attended Afriff in November 2021 where he was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

[21] In August 2022, he was presented an icon award and a membership certificate along with his wife by Audio-Visual Rights Society of Nigeria (AVRS) [22][23]