Family of late actor Kola Oyewo releases three-day burial rites

• The family of the late veteran Nigerian actor and academic, Chief Dr Kola Oyewo, has scheduled his three-day burial rites from Wednesday, August 5, to Friday, August 7, 2026.

• The events will include a wake and commendation mass in Ile-Ife, alongside an "Artistes' Night" and an exhibition of his creative works at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), where he served as an Associate Professor of Drama.

• On August 7, 2026, a Requiem Mass will be held at St. Joseph Catholic Church in his hometown of Oba-Ile, Osun State, followed by a private family interment at Labaluyegbe Villa.

​The family and the Balogun Oyekola Oyewo Memorial Committee shared the burial arrangements on Saturday through a funeral programme.

It would be recalled that Oyewo passed away on June 12, 2026, at the age of 80. He was recognised as one of Nigeria's leading theatre practitioners, with a career that included stage, television, film, and academic work.

In the funeral announcement, the Bangbola Oyewo family of the Ese-Ola Royal House, Oba-Ile, described him as "a beloved father, father-in-law, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, colleague, esteemed traditional ruler and veteran of the Nigerian theatre."

The funeral rites will take place over three days, from Wednesday, August 5, to Friday, August 7, 2026, according to the programme.

The events will begin on Wednesday, August 5, with a wake and a service of songs at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Igboya, Ile-Ife.

A commendation mass will take place at the same church on Thursday, August 6. Later that evening, family, friends, colleagues, and admirers will gather for an Artistes' Night at Oduduwa Hall, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, where there will be tributes and cultural performances in his honour.

To celebrate his life and contributions to the arts, an exhibition of Oyewo's photographs, publications, and creative works will be held at the Pit Theatre in the African Studies Building at Obafemi Awolowo University.

The exhibition will open on Thursday, August 6, and will continue until Friday, August 7.

On Friday, August 7, the late actor's remains will depart his residence at Ese-Ola Compound, Oba-Ile, for a Requiem Mass at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Oba-Ile.

He will thereafter be laid to rest at Labaluyegbe Villa, Oba-Ile, in a private interment reserved for family members and close associates. A reception for guests will follow at Aderonmu Grammar School Field, Oba-Ile.

Throughout a career that lasted more than six decades, he mentored generations of actors, playwrights and theatre scholars while making significant contributions to the preservation and development of Nigerian theatre and cultural heritage.

His passing has been widely described as the end of an era for Nigeria's theatre community, where he remained a revered performer, educator and cultural icon until his death.