Frederick Olufemi Robinson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | September 27, 1940 (1940-09-27) |
| Died | May 20, 2015(2015-05-20) (aged 74) Lagos, Nigeria |
| Other names | Frederick |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1968–1988 |
| Notable work | |
| Spouse | Juliana Modupe Robinson |
| Children | 3 |
Femi RobinsonListenⓘ (September 27, 1940 – May 20, 2015) was aNigerian film and televisionactor, famous for his lead role inThe Village Headmaster, where his stage name, "Ife Araba, The Village Headmaster", was coined. ChiefEddie Ugbomah, former Chairman of the Nigerian Film Corporation, called him "an icon of the industry".[1]
Robinson was born on September 27, 1940, at Bodo, a village inAbeokuta, the capital ofOgun State, southwesternNigeria, into the family of anIfá priest. He obtained a bachelor's degree in botany fromUniversity of Nigeria,Nsukka (1962-1966) in the early 1960s before joining the Nigerian film industry.[2][3]
He began his acting career playing the lead role of Odewale inThe Gods Are Not to Blame, a 1968 play by the Nigerian playwrightChiefOla Rotimi. The play was an adaptation of theGreek classicOedipus Rex.[4] He also played the lead role inThe Village Headmaster, Nigeria's longest-running television soap opera from 1968 to 1988, scripted byOlusegun Olusola.[5]
On October 11, 2012, Robinson called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to banChinua Achebe's novelThings Fall Apart in Nigerian schools, following the publication of Achebe's controversial memoirThere Was a Country: A Personal History of Biafra.[6]
Robinson died of a heart attack on May 20, 2015, at Ayodele Hospital in the Ifako Ijaiye local government area of Lagos. Robinson's death drew the attentions of many notable Nigerians.[7] According toVanguard, a veteran Nigerian film actor, PrinceJide Kosoko, said in his tribute, "Femi Robinson was a true professional. He has contributed immensely to the growth of the entertainment industry in Nigeria".[8][9]
The President of theFederal Republic of Nigeria,Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, conveyed his condolences to Robinson's family in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr.Reuben Abati.[10]
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