Jide Kosoko (born on 12 January 1954) reportedly has 12 children born to different women, and some of them are Temilade, Abidemi, Sola, Dayo, Tunji, Tunde, Ademuyiwa, Bade, and Adebanke Kosoko.
Jide Kosoko is a 70-year-old veteran Nollywood award-winning actor in English and Yoruba movies who launched into entertainment at age 10 in 1964. In the progression of time, he basks in the glory of his choice as he remains relevant, versatile and has benefited from diverse opportunities as an actor, director, writer, producer, and brand ambassador. His versatility is evidenced in his numerous roles in his over 5 decades of acting in more than 300 movies, including Merry men, Last Flight to Abuja, The Figurine, Super Story, and many more household movies.
70-Year-Old Jide Kosoko is a Veteran Nigerian Actor
Born Prince Babajide Kosoko on 12 January 1954 to the Royal Kosoko family of Lagos, Jide had a love for acting right from when he was a little boy. As such, he was scolded by his father and even flogged by his mother to dissuade him from going into acting, with their perspective being that as a prince, he was to be entertained and not entertain others.
However, his interest in acting couldn’t be put to rest, especially when he developed an admiration for veteran actor Late Chief Hubert Ogunde. His admiration led him to a successful audition with the Ifelodun traveling theatre troupe in 1964 at the age of 10 after being invited to audition by a member of the troupe who was also a neighbor and had seen the young Jide act at school and with his friends. His first telemovie was titled Makanjuola, where he was chosen to play the child lead role “Alabi.”
Now at the age of 70, Jide still maintains his relevance in the Nigerian movie industry and is an achiever for many years. Below are some of his achievements:
Achievements of Jide in Nollywood
- At 18 in 1972, Kosoko was already far up in films and went on to form his own theatre group. First, he called it the Babkok group and then the Jide Kosoko Theatre group (JKT).
- At 58 in 2012, he was selected by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to produce a docu-drama on climate change titled Battle for life.
- The actor has a degree in Business Administration from the Yaba College of Technology and obtained a degree in theatre and performing arts at 60.
- At 63, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the City People Movie Awards of 2017.
- At 64 in 2018, he won the Special Recognition Award, City People Movie Award.
- Away from acting, he was the first clerk to become a general manager at a shipping company in Nigeria.
- Jide Kosoko is also the first African to rise to the general manager position at Steve Industrial Apapa, Lagos.
The Talented Actor Has Been Married Four Times
While Jide Kosoko has been incredibly successful in his acting career, the same can’t be said of his personal life. The actor has been married to four different women. Sadly, three out of his four wives are dead. His only remaining wife is the third, Alhaja Karimot ‘Kareemat’ Abimbola Kosoko, who is currently in her 50s. Learn more about his wives below.
His First Two Wives Died 11 Months Apart
Jide Kosoko’s first wife was Ganiyat Kosoko, a businesswoman who worked with the Nigerian customs service. She is reportedly the mother of 4 of his children. His first son and 3 daughters, including actresses Sola and Bidemi. Since they had different careers, Kosoko wanted a woman who had more understanding of acting. This led to his marrying his second wife, who was an actress.
In October 1992, he lost his first wife to the cold hands of death during childbirth. Barely a year later, in November 1993, he lost his second wife in the same manner. Kosoko was left devasted, but after advice from his Doctor and relatives, he went for a third wife.
His Third Wife Linked Him To His Fourth Wife Who Died Of Diabetes
Prince Jide took Alhaja Karimot ‘Kareemat’ Abimbola Kosoko as his third wife. She is currently in her 50s, has 3 children from the union, and is the only serving wife of Kosoko. Also, she is a businesswoman who specializes in the sales of baby accessories and wears. Although still married to Kosoko, Alhaja Karimot welcomed his fourth into their family.
Henrietta Emumejiakpo-Kosoko is the last wife of Jide Kosoko. She was a trained caterer from the Mushin area of Lagos before going into acting and rising to fame in 1995 after acting Onome and Omolade. In the movie industry, she served as a member of the Nigerian Association of Practitioners of Theatre Arts. However, Henrietta died from diabetes at 53 in 2016. Before meeting Jide, she was married to Mr. Olowu and had twins – Taiwo, a graduate of accounting and a musician popular as LT, Taiwo; and Kehinde Olowua, a graduate of economics from the North American University Benin Republic. She later had Oluwamuyiwa and Temilade with the actor.
Unfortunately for Kosoko, he has been accused severally of having something to do with the deaths of three of his wives. A popular Nigerian blogger, Kemi Olunloye, claimed that the actor might have used his wives for rituals to make wealth. However, Jide sees it as God’s will while others see it as an inevitable fate.
Jide Kosoko Has 12 Children
Several reports have different stories when it comes to the number of Jide Kosoko’s children. While the most popular opinion is that the actor has 6 children, he reportedly has 12 children born by different women. In his first two marriages, Kosoko welcomed 7 children while the others came from his last two marriages. Although many of his children lead private life, some of them are famous. Also, the actor has many grandchildren whose identity remains concealed.
His Daughter Sola Kosoko-Abina is A Filmmaker and Actress
Sola is a renowned Nigerian actress and director who broke into the movie industry in 2000. Although she has appeared in several English films, she is best known for her roles in Yoruba films that include Oko Irese (2000), Omo Bishop (2005), Eje Adegbenro 2 (2006), Láròdá òjò (2008), and Palace (2018). In addition, she is a model and a brand ambassador.
Sola Kosoko, whose career blossoms rapidly, is currently 44 years old and has been married to Mr. Abiodun Abina since 2012. Together, they have two children.
Abidemi Kosoko is an Actress
Abimbola is widely known as Bimbola Kosoko and one of the children of Kosoko. She was born on 21st October 1988 and attended primary and secondary schools at Army Children School, Jibowu High School, and Mainland High School, respectively. At Lagos State University, Bimbola studied Theatre Arts.
She is a producer and an award-winning actress. She has starred in many movies, including My Mum and I, Wicked Wife, Alakada, etc. As a producer, she has one movie, Shikemi, under her belt. According to her, her father was a major influence in her career choice. More so, the actress is an entrepreneur and founder of a hair store, Biire Exquisite Concept.
Abimbola is traditionally married to Mr. Oyajiye, a fashion designer, and together they welcomed their first child in 2019. Sola and Bidemi had the same mother who died in 1992 and was thus raised by Henrietta Kosoko, their stepmother.
Temilade Kosoko is a Face Model, Actress, and Dancer
She’s the second child of Jide’s 4th wife, Henrietta, and the youngest female child. She was born on April 17, 2000. Currently, she is studying theatre arts at the University of Lagos and has been nominated twice for Best Actress in Theatre in 2019. She also mostly makes videos on TikTok and posts them on other social media platforms. In addition to that, Temilade is further known for being a face model whose face has gone to many pages and has at many times been said to resemble DJ Cuppy.
Other Known Children of Jide Kosoko
- Dayo Kosoko: Eldest child of Jide Kosoko
- Tunji Kosoko: 4th son of the actor
- Tunde: is a director in the industry, and at this time, little is known about him.
- Ademuyiwa Kosoko: actor best known for Ere Ayo
- Bade Kosoko
- Adebanke Kosoko