Full Name: Jide Kosoko
Date of Birth: 12 January 1954.
Ethnicity: Yoruba.
Place of Birth: Lagos Island, Lagos State.
Nationality: Nigerian
Marriage status: Married.
Languages: English, Yoruba.
Occupation: Actor, Film-maker and Film Director.
Prince Jide Kosoko is a veteran Nigerian actor, director
and producer. He was the President of Association of
Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (ANTP). He acts
both Yoruba and English language movies.
Jide Kosoko was born on January 12, 1954 in Lagos,
Nigeria to a royal family, hence his traditional title of
Prince or Omoba in Yoruba.
He had his first taste of acting in 1964 when he was
just 10 years old. It was in a television production titled
Makanjuola, produced by Ifelodun Travelling Theatre. He
was called into the production by chance. It happened
that one of his neighbours, an old actor named Dele
Toyibo, was a member of the travelling theatre. They
incidentally wanted to have a production on television-
LTV Bar Beach.
They needed a boy of Kosoko’s age to play the lead
role. Dele urged Kosoko to audition for the role. He
eventually got the part and stayed with the troupe for
another eight years before forming his own group, The
Jide Kosoko Theatre Group in 1972.
Kosoko is also a notable movie director. He has
produced over four blockbusters including Olorire and
Arewaokunrin. He was even chosen by the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to produce a
docu-drama on climate change. The production titled
Battle for life is still in the production process.
He has also endorsed many consumer products. The
most popular one being the Chivita advert where he
appears on billboards and on television.
Jide Kosoko is married to Henrietta Kosoko and their
daughter is Sola Kosoko a Nollywood actress and a
graduate of Olabisi Onabanjo University
