Nigeria, Sept. 18 -- I first crossed paths with Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs-fondly known to many of us as Uncle Olu Jacobs in 1978. A small collective of Nigerian classmates at the London Film School, including Adefolu, George, Femi Aloba, and yours truly, had banded together for our final graduation project.

We set out to adapt Amadu Maddy's novel "No Past, No Present, No Future" into our diploma film, "Trying Times." We were young, ambitious, and eager to carry home tangible proof of our training in the art and technique of cinema from that historic institution.

At the time, Olu Jacobs was a vibrant presence at the nearby Africa Centre in Covent Garden. From that very first encounter, he left an indelible mark on me: a consummate, classic...