From the crackle of old television sets and VHS cassettes during my childhood to the big cinema screens of today and streaming platforms, I watched Taiwo Hassan popularly known as Ogogo. His cinematic style was bold and raw. A perfectionist who is always serious on set. He respected the craft, mentored young ones, wrote, directed, produced and featured in numerous movies.
I cannot think of Ogogo without remembering Owo Blow. His portrayal of Wole Owolabi was one of those performances that I can’t forget. He acted the role that audiences, including many young women of that generation, remained drawn to the character long afterwards and became his Crush. The film helped introduce him to a wider audience and became one of the defining chapters of his long career.
Those productions also featured the women who completed the stories. I remember the late Adebimpe Adekola, known as Ireti, of blessed memory. Her frequent professional pairing with Ogogo formed part of the memories of that era. At the time, many assumed a romantic relationship existed. In later interviews, however, Ogogo described her as someone he had mentored closely,
Today, as we mourn his passing, another conversation presses itself forward. It is not only about the actor we lost. It is about the many men who live behind the screen of responsibility; providing, enduring, remaining silent, while nursing quiet pain and untreated illness.
The father.
The husband.
The provider.
The ageing man.
The common man expected to remain strong even when his body is already whispering that something is wrong.
Ogogo’s death has reopened a conversation we still do not have enough of in this part of the world: men’s health.
We have trained our men to provide.
To endure.
To say, “I’m fine.”
To swallow pain.
To keep working.
To dismiss persistent symptoms as malaria, ulcer, stress, the weather, or “nothing serious.”
Sometimes, by the time the body stops whispering, it has begun to shout.
Ogogo himself had earlier spoken publicly about a prolonged battle with chronic ulcer and about his history of self-medication, including the use of Alabukun and lime when he felt unwell. He reportedly experienced severe symptoms, including vomiting blood, before receiving proper medical attention. There is no established public evidence linking that earlier ulcer history to the cancer later diagnosed.
Then came the devastating news this month. Stage-four cancer. His daughters publicly disclosed the diagnosis and appealed for specialist intervention. Within days, the man many had recently seen looking strong and energetic was gone. Ogogo died on 23 August 2026 at the age of 66.
This is where we must be careful with a common question: “How can someone look healthy and suddenly have stage-four cancer?”
Cancer does not always announce itself dramatically. Some cancers develop with few or non-specific symptoms. A person may appear outwardly well even when serious disease is already present. Stage 4 generally indicates that the cancer has spread to distant parts of the body, though exact meaning and outlook depend on the type of cancer and other clinical factors. It is therefore unwise to look at a photograph and conclude that advanced disease is impossible.
That photograph at Ojude Oba.
The man standing.
The smile.
The agbada.
The visible energy.
The camera captures the outside. It does not perform a CT scan.
Perhaps that is the lesson. We need to stop treating appearance as a medical certificate.
Men especially need to learn to listen to their bodies.
Unexplained weight loss.
Persistent or worsening pain.
Unusual bleeding.
Persistent changes in bowel or bladder habits.
Unexplained lumps or swelling.
A cough or hoarseness that will not go away.
Unusual fatigue.
Symptoms that persist or keep returning deserve proper medical evaluation, not another round of self-medication.
Screening matters too. The appropriate tests depend on age, sex, family history, risk factors and the specific cancer under consideration. Early diagnosis and timely treatment can make a significant difference in outcomes.
Women have, in many ways, grown more accustomed to conversations around preventive health; breast examinations, cervical screening, reproductive health and regular checks. Men, by contrast, are still largely operating under the old instruction: “Nothing dey do me.” Until something does.
Perhaps Ogogo’s passing can become more than another celebrity obituary. Perhaps it can become a mirror.
To the father who has not checked his blood pressure in years.
To the husband who has been living with persistent pain but keeps postponing the hospital.
To the brother who treats every symptom with whatever someone recommends.
To the uncle who believes hospitals are only for people who are already very sick.
To the man who still thinks that admitting something is wrong is a form of weakness.
Ọkùnrin takun-takun
The man has blood too.
He has organs.
He has cells.
He feels pain.
His body can become sick.
Being a man does not make the body immune to disease.
Ogogo gave us memorable characters for more than four decades. He made us laugh. He made us angry. He made us fall in love with stories. From Owo Blow to later works that introduced him to a new generation, including Aníkúlápó, his career stretched across acting, screenwriting, directing and producing.
Perhaps his final role is one he never auditioned for: a reminder that survival is not the same as masculinity.
Going to the hospital is not weakness.
Asking questions about your health is not weakness.
Getting screened is not weakness.
Admitting that you are in pain is not weakness.
Sometimes the bravest thing a man can say is simply:
“Something is not right with me. I need to see a doctor.”
Rest well, Ogogo a ku lodo, Omo ku lomi lomi……
Omo adiye sun won sebi kuku loku, kiwon to lotatan adiye dide oyan fanda
Ilaro omo erin lonibu omo efon lo nona
Omo pakan lakan leyin jijo awo ni gbori ile omo ina tin jo geregere lori omi
Ilaro omo aran o sunwon e ko nigbale omo oku eko omo ijagudu akara
The television has gone quiet, but the characters remain.
And if your departure can persuade even one Nigerian man to take his health more seriously, then your final performance will continue long after the curtain has fallen.
Written by Ayomide Abiona
#healthylifestyle #healthyliving #healthyhabits
#healingjourney #healthychoices #MensHealthMatters
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