The death of the prolific Nollywood veteran was officially confirmed on Monday morning by Abubakar Yakubu, President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN).
According to Yakubu, Solomon Akiyesi simply went to sleep and never woke up a detail that has added a particularly haunting dimension to an already devastating loss.
“Yes, it is true. He died yesterday. Slept and did not wake up from sleep. We await further details from the family. His body is in the morgue in Abuja where the sad incident happened,” Yakubu confirmed.
The guild president noted that the AGN is still awaiting a formal account from Akiyesi’s family regarding the precise cause and full details of his passing. No further medical information has been made public at the time of this report.
Born and raised in Ososo, in the Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State, Solomon Akiyesi was one of the quiet pillars of Nollywood, the kind of performer whose presence on screen commanded attention even when his name was not the first on the poster.
He came of age as an actor during the late 1990s, a period widely regarded as the golden era of home-video Nollywood, when the industry was rapidly expanding its reach across Nigeria and into the wider African continent.
Over a career spanning more than two decades, Akiyesi featured in upwards of 100 films — an extraordinary testament to his dedication to the craft and his versatility as both actor and producer.
His filmography reads like a cross-section of Nollywood’s most beloved genres, ranging from romantic dramas to thrillers and morality tales. Audiences will remember him fondly from titles such as Marry Who You Love, Kiss My Pain, Joy of Nakasha, Heart of a Saint, Deadly Affair, Gen Z Wife, Olaedo The Fisher Girl, Pretty Liars, The End Is Near, and Desperate Ladies, among many others.
Since news of his passing broke, tributes have flooded social media platforms, with fans, fellow actors, directors, and industry insiders taking to X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook to pay their respects.
The Actors Guild of Nigeria has not yet announced any formal funeral arrangements or a planned tribute event, as these are expected to follow guidance from the Akiyesi family in the coming days.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Nollywood has lost one of its most dedicated and enduring talents. Solomon Akiyesi, a veteran actor and producer from Edo State with over 100 films to his name, died peacefully in his sleep in Abuja on Sunday.
Confirmed by the Actors Guild of Nigeria, his passing marks the end of a remarkable career that began in the late 1990s and never stopped evolving.
