By Peter Dansu Veteran Nigerian actor and filmmaker Jide Kosoko has been formally declared the Oloja of Lagos elect by the King Kosoko Roya...
By Peter Dansu
Veteran Nigerian actor and filmmaker Jide Kosoko has been formally declared the Oloja of Lagos elect by the King Kosoko Royal Family, marking a major development in the traditional leadership of Lagos Island.
Kosoko, 72, was presented at the King Kosoko Palace in Ereko, Lagos Island, before a large gathering of royal family members and well wishers who witnessed the historic declaration. The announcement was made by the Olori Ebi General of the King Kosoko Royal Family, Mrs Mutiat Ali Balogun, who formally presented the actor to the assembly in line with long standing palace customs.
In a symbolic traditional rite, Mrs Ali Balogun raised her father’s hand to actress Sola Kosoko in affirmation of the decision, a ritual accompanied by prayers and traditional observances. She was supported by the Deputy Olori Ebi General, Oyindamola Ayepola, who also serves as the Head of the Meshimo Ruling House.
The Oloja stool became vacant following the death of Chief Adebola Ige on December 23, 2017.
Jide Kosoko’s declaration comes against the backdrop of an ongoing succession dispute within the broader King Kosoko Royal Dynasty. A branch of the family, the Akinsanya Olojo Family, has in recent months appealed to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo Olu to approve the installation of Abiola Olojo Kosoko as Oloja of Lagos.
In December 2025, the Punch reported that the Akinsanya Olojo Family maintained that Abiola Olojo Kosoko was selected as Oloja elect on December 12, 2020, but had yet to be installed more than four years later. The family’s appeal was conveyed in a formal letter addressed to the governor and circulated to key state officials, including the Secretary to the State Government, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, the Chairman of Lagos Island Local Government and the Council of Heads of the Kosoko Royal Family.
The General Secretary of the Akinsanya Olojo Kosoko Ruling House, Theophilus Olojo Kosoko, disclosed that a follow up letter dated November 28, 2025, was also submitted to press for urgent government intervention.
According to him, after the death of Chief Ige, a 16 member committee was constituted to review the succession process. The King Kosoko Royal Family subsequently directed the Akinsanya Olojo Ruling House to present a nominee in accordance with customary and chieftaincy laws. He said four contenders were screened during traditional interviews held at the Kosoko Palace on October 7, 2020, including Abiola Olojo Kosoko, the late Shola Olojo Kosoko, Issa Aregbesola and Abiola Aromashodu of the Odunsi Ruling House.
He added that the kingmakers eventually adjudged Abiola Olojo Kosoko as the most qualified candidate and proclaimed him Oloja elect on December 12, 2020, in line with the Lagos State Obas and Chiefs Law and the 1983 Registered Declaration.
Meanwhile, following his declaration, Jide Kosoko now awaits his traditional installation and capping by the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwanu Akiolu, in accordance with palace protocols and state traditions.
Beyond his royal emergence, Kosoko is widely respected for his long standing contribution to Nigerian entertainment. He studied business administration at Yaba College of Technology and began his acting career as a child actor in 1964 in the television production Makanjuola. Over the decades, he has featured in numerous Nollywood films in both English and Yoruba languages, earning him national recognition and respect.
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