“Some People Leave Behind Memories. Some Leave Behind A Legacy That Time Can Never Erase” — Nollywood’s Biggest Names Pay Tribute to Ogogo
The tributes are pouring in fast, and they’re coming from some of Nollywood’s most respected voices. Following the death of veteran actor Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, at 66, Femi Adebayo and Funke Akindele are among the industry heavyweights putting their grief into words.
The Tributes
Femi Adebayo’s message was short but heavy with emotion: “Sir T…Some people leave behind memories. Some leave behind a legacy that time can never erase.”
Funke Akindele responded in the same thread with her own tribute: “hmmmm sad!!! Rest in peace, sir T. Your impact on the film industry will never be forgotten. Thank you for the legacy you leave behind.”
Why Femi Adebayo’s Voice Carries Extra Weight Here
This isn’t just another colleague offering condolences from a distance. Femi Adebayo was one of the first major Nollywood figures to publicly rally support for Ogogo when news of his stage-four cancer diagnosis broke. On August 18, 2026, Adebayo posted on X: “Please let’s rally around our beloved Sir Taiwo Hassan, who is currently facing a serious health challenge battling cancer,” urging Nigerians and medical professionals to help the family find specialists and treatment centres. He was careful to stress that the family wasn’t seeking financial help only medical direction a message that was echoed by fellow actors Odunlade Adekola and Sola Sobowale, both of whom shared the same appeal on their own platforms.
That means Adebayo’s tribute today isn’t a distant industry statement it’s coming from someone who was actively fighting alongside the family just days before Ogogo’s passing, making the loss land that much harder.
Funke Akindele’s Connection Goes Back Years
Funke Akindele and Ogogo’s history in Nollywood runs deep the two starred together in Apaadi, a 2009 Yoruba epic that Akindele herself produced through her Scene One Productions, alongside fellow cast members Femi Adebayo, Yinka Quadri, Adebayo Salami, and others. It’s the kind of shared history that turns a tribute from a formality into something genuinely personal two actors who spent time on set together, years before this moment.
A Legacy Both Tributes Are Pointing To
Ogogo’s career spanned Yoruba and English-language productions alike, including Owo Blow, Agbelebu, Omo Ghetto, Omin, Tenant of the House, Bank Alert, and his celebrated role as Alaafin Ademuyiwa in Kunle Afolayan’s Aníkúlápó, a 2022 Netflix production that introduced his work to a new generation of viewers and earned him a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the 2023 AMVCAs. Tributes have continued pouring in from across the country and beyond, with fans, political leaders, and professional bodies all remembering the actor’s contribution to Nigerian entertainment and culture.He is expected to be buried according to Islamic rites.
Wahala Network Take
“A legacy that time can never erase” Femi Adebayo’s words capture exactly what this moment feels like across Nollywood right now. From colleagues who fought for his treatment just days ago to co-stars who shared the screen with him decades back, the outpouring of grief says everything about the mark Ogogo left on Nigerian cinema.
Rest well, sir T.
