Raymond Oladipupo Ladebo also simply known by his stage name Ladi Ladebo (7 May 1942 – 16 April 2021) was a Nigerian filmmaker. He was one of the pioneers of

Golden Age The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the ''Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages of Man, Ages, Gold being the first and the one during ...

of yesteryear Nigerian cinema, especially during the celluloid-era optimism of the 1970s. He previously worked as a media analyst and accountant before entering the film industry. He was also popularly called by his nickname as Uncle Ladi.

Career

After completing his secondary education in

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

, Ladi went to the USA to pursue his higher education. He obtained his marketing and business degrees from the universities in the USA. He first went to

Bowling Green State University Bowling Green State University (BGSU) is a public research university in Bowling Green, Ohio. The main academic and residential campus is south of Toledo, Ohio. The university has nationally recognized programs and research facilities in the ...

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

and obtained his B.S. in

Business Administration Business administration, also known as business management, is the administration of a commercial enterprise. It includes all aspects of overseeing and supervising the business operations of an organization. From the point of view of management ...

in 1968. In August 1969, he received his

MBA A Master of Business Administration (MBA; also Master's in Business Administration) is a postgraduate degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration such as accounti ...

degree in

Marketing Marketing is the process of exploring, creating, and delivering value to meet the needs of a target market in terms of goods and services; potentially including selection of a target audience; selection of certain attributes or themes to emph ...

from the New York University Graduate School of Business. He made his entry into the film industry through advertising. He worked as a media analyst and accountant executive for the international advertising agency of Ogilvy and Mather for a duration of three years between 1969 and 1972. His experience working for an international advertising agency earned him the opportunity of working as a production assistant on American feature films and also as a line producer for American television programs. He began collaborating with veteran African-American actor

Ossie Davis Raiford Chatman "Ossie" Davis (December 18, 1917 – February 4, 2005) was an American actor, director, writer, and activist. He was married to Ruby Dee, with whom he frequently performed, until his death. He and his wife were named to the NAACP ...

in films. He wrote the screenplay and was the producer of the 1976 American film '' Countdown at Kusini'', which was directed by Ossie Davis. ''Countdown at Kusini'' was regarded as the first film to be made by Black Americans. It also marked the first collaboration between Ossie Davis and Ladi Ladebo in films. He also directed few films including '' Bisi, Daughter of the River'' (1977) and ''Silent Sufferer'', which was a collaboration with

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

and UNPFA. He began making advocacy films post 1977 often collaborating with funder organisations such as the UNESCO and UNPFA. Ladebo also produced films and his notable film as producer ''Vendor'', which was released in 1992 garnered four awards including Best Director and Best Feature Film during the inaugural edition of the Nigerian Film Festival in 1992. His last directorial film ''Heritage'' was released in 2003, and it also had its UK premiere in 2004 at the Khalili Theatre of the School of Oriental and African Studies. He also produced television programs and his television serial production ''Thrift Collector'' was one of three productions selected by the Rotterdam Museum of Ethnology as Best TV Soaps on Population and Development.Thrift Collector
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Death

Ladebo died on 16 April 2021 at the age of 78 in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ladebo, Ladi 1942 births 2021 deaths Nigerian accountants Nigerian film producers Nigerian film directors American accountants American film producers American film directors African-American film directors African-American film producers Nigerian expatriates in the United States Nigerian expatriates in the United Kingdom Bowling Green State University alumni New York University Stern School of Business alumni People from Ogu–Bolo 20th-century African-American people 21st-century African-American people Yoruba people