By Ken Afor
The Nigerian creative industry was thrown into mourning on Monday following the death of one of the country’s renowned creative artists, Jimi Solanke.
Solanke reportedly passed away at the age of 81 on Monday at Olabisi Onabanjo Teaching Hospital in Sagamu, Ogun State.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in a statement released by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, condoles with the family and friends of the deceased, describing the deceased as one of the country’s finest creative artists.
According to the President, the iconic actor and playwright was a defender of the country’s rich cultural heritage.
President Tinubu who mourned the literary and cultural virtuoso, described him as one of the finest of Nigeria’s creative artists and bastion of the cherished Nigeria’s mores and cultural heritage.
“The President condoled with the Solanke family and all those who mourn this painful loss while praying for the peaceful repose of the beloved departed,” he said.
Similarly, some Nigerians took to social media channels to express their condolences, describing the death as a huge loss to the creative industry in Nigeria.
Members of the entertainment industry were also full of grief.
The late Solanke, a native of Ipara, Remo, Ogun State, was born on July 4, 1942. He is survived by his wife, Toyin.
Over his seven-decade career in the arts, he participated in international festivals in Senegal and Algeria during the 1970s.
Solanke made appearances in the defunct Western Nigeria Television, which later transformed into the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Ibadan in the 1960s.
The renowned poet, folk singer, and dramatist featured in memorable plays such as “Death and the King’s Horseman,” “Kurunmi,” and “Kongi’s Harvest.”
After graduating from the University of Ibadan (UI), Solanke moved to the United States and formed a drama group called The Africa Review, which marked the beginning of his storytelling career in the early 1970s.
