Lights out on man of the theatre, Jide ‘Pappy Jyde’ Ogungbade

The entire theatre and entertainment community in Nigeria was thrown into mourning with the news that veteran theatre director, actor, broadcaster, playwright, singer, poet, and composer, Jide Ogungbade, had passed on.

Jide, who is best remembered in the theatre and entertainment circuit as the director of the famous Ajo Productions series of Plays, which began in 1983 and culminated in the Ajo Festival of Plays in 1986, reportedly passed on in the evening of Tuesday, July 9 in Lagos after a period of illness.

According to a statement jointly signed by Pastor Niyi Gbade and Ayotade Ogungbade on behalf of the family, the actor was born in Minna, Niger State, on August 21, 1952.

A native of Ikare-Aoko in Ondo State, Pappy Jyde, as the multi-talented artistes was simply called by younger colleagues, worked for over two decades as a drama producer with the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), where he wrote, directed and produced hundreds of episodes of drama pieces that fetched him numerous awards.

He later worked as a trainer at the FRCN Training School and was until his death, the Assistant Choir Master of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement, District 6 (Ayo Ni o), located on Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, Lagos.

Tributes have continued to pour in for Pappy Jyde, who, without doubt, is an icon of the thespian arts.

Broadcaster and thespian, Aminah Muhammad, wrote: “Wao…Ajofest theatre splash 86 is gone. Still remember when he corrected me on the right pronunciation of the chamber in my younger day in practice.

“A big brother to all thespians. He definitely left some footprints behind. Just remembered Budiso and Things Fall Apart as directed by him. How I wish there will be a reenactment of those plays, still very relevant in our contemporary society.”