Veteran Nigerian music producer, filmmaker, and cultural icon Obafemi “Femi” Lasode has passed away at 70. He died on Friday, July 25, 2025. Lasode was best known for producing and directing the celebrated cultural film “Sango,” which gained international recognition and was screened at prestigious venues like the Smithsonian Institution in Washington and the Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Film Festival.
Lasode was a renowned Nigerian music producer, filmmaker, and cultural icon born Obafemi Bandele Lasode on December 4, 1955, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, but hailed from Abeokuta, Ogun State. He was a multifaceted creative, exceling as a film director, producer, songwriter, music producer, and playwright.
Lasode attended St. Gregory’s College in Lagos for his secondary education. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Kogod School of Business in Washington, D.C. He later obtained a Master of Science degree in Communication Arts from Brooklyn College, City University of New York, and another master’s degree in Communication Arts from the New York Institute of Technology.
Some of his notable achievements include his position with the Inner City Broadcasting Corporation where he worked as a promotions coordinator in New York and hosted Nigerian music legend Sonny Okosun at the iconic Apollo Theater in Harlem in 1984.
Further, he established Afrika ‘n Vogue/Even-Ezra Studios in 1989 which is one of Nigeria’s pioneering indigenous production houses for African-themed content.
Lasode was a strong advocate for preserving African heritage through storytelling and music, consistently using his art to promote Yoruba culture and values. He promoted artists like Tosin Martins known for the hit song, “Olo mi” and Rotimi Martins otherwise known as Alariwo of Africa. Lasode was the President of Performing Musicians’ Association of Nigeria (PMAN) between 2002 and 2003.
Through his work, Lasode consistently promoted Yoruba culture and values, advocating for the preservation of African heritage through storytelling and music.
Overall, Femi Lasode’s legacy is one of creativity, innovation, and cultural preservation, inspiring future generations of artists, filmmakers, and musicians.
Lasode’s death marks the end of an era in the Nigerian entertainment industry, where he stood as a trailblazer for culturally rooted and globally resonant content. He is survived by family, friends, and a generation of creatives influenced by his works.
– Story by Yinka Olatunbosun, a senior culture journalist.
