By Blessing Udeobasi
The leadership of the Audio-Visual Rights Society of Nigeria (AVRS) has awarded veteran Nollywood actor, Oludotun Baiyewun Jacobs an Icon award as well as a cash sum.
The award was presented to him on Wednesday at a brief presentation ceremony held at the Glover Memorial Hall in Lagos.
Chairman of the AVRS Mahmood Ali-Balogun who presented the award said the Octogenarian actor deserved the award for his meritorious contribution to the development and growth of the audio-visual industry in Nigeria and for fostering the finest ideals of the acting profession.
“Uncle Olu Jacobs is a well- established performer who has contributed to improving the image of the acting profession and has had a long history of active involvement both on stage and screen. Indeed his contributions to the growth of the audio-visual industry cannot be quantified.”
“It is just appropriate for the AVRS which is the sole government licensed collective management organization for audio-visual content to honour this Icon of the profession who should rightly be a leading member of the AVRS because of his body of works,’’ Ali-Balogun added.
“With this presentation, both Uncle Olu and the wife Ajoke Jacobs are now members of the AVRS and they qualify to receive royalties anytime it is shared to members. That is the chief reason AVRS is in existence. To collect royalties from right users for distribution to right owners,’’ Ali-Balogun said.
Reacting to the recognition, Olu Jacobs thanked the AVRS leadership for the honour done him and the membership extended to them saying, “the only thank you that is big enough to appreciate the AVRS for this honour done me is to say a louder thank you. Thank you AVRS’’.
Similarly, his wife Ajoke promised to be a strong advocate for the AVRS. “I know of the journey we have gone through and if AVRS had been standing, the journey wouldn’t have been this hard. We thank God that AVRS is here now and it is incredible the quality of people you have on the board. We are members now, so count on our support.”
 has awarded veteran Nollywood actor, Oludotun Baiyewun Jacobs an Icon award as well as a cash sum.){kind=link}