Legendary actor Fabian Adibe, best known for his role in the NTA adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s classic novel, “Things Fall Apart,” has died.

His death on Wednesday was confirmed by the CEO of Best of Nollywood, BON, Seun Oloketuyi, in a post on his social media.

“‘Things Fall Apart’ actor, Fabian Adibe, is dead. Died 2:30 am this morning,” Oloketuyi posted on social media.

Adibe earned widespread admiration for his iconic portrayal in the adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart,” and his calm demeanour and powerful performances endeared him to generations of viewers.

The actor and television personality, who led Nigeria to its first Commonwealth Art Festival in 1965, began his acting career in 1987 in the acclaimed Nigerian TV series, “Things Fall Apart.”

He played the role of Ogbuefi Uzowulu and acted alongside Pete Edochie.

His other co-actors, Justus Esiri and Sam Loco Efe, in the series are now deceased.

Born on December 1, 1943, Adibe belonged to the older generation of actors who laid the foundation for Nollywood.

He featured in over 300 movies, including “Slave Warrior” (2012), “White Kingdom 2” (2014), and “Father’s” (2014), among others.

The revered actor featured in foreign movies, including “Soweto,” a story about the struggle in South Africa, and “Mr. Johnson,” a Hollywood film.

He was a staff member of the Nigerian Television Authority until he was retrenched on May 25, 1984.

Google has launched Storybook, a new feature within its Gemini app, aimed at providing a creative and interactive learning tool for Nigeria’s 39 million children aged six and under.

Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, communications & public affairs manager for Google in West Africa, said that the AI-powered feature transforms simple prompts, personal photos, and children’s drawings into customised, narrated storybooks, bridging a critical gap in early childhood education through technology rooted in storytelling.

This launch provides a powerful new creative tool in Nigeria, a country with a rich and deep-rooted tradition of storytelling.

With a young population that includes approximately 39 million children aged six and under, the need for engaging and accessible educational content is more critical than ever.

Storybook is designed to help bridge this gap by empowering anyone to create personalised learning experiences.

“It addresses a real need for parents and educators who are looking for fresh ways to captivate the minds of our youngest learners. The challenge is often making education interactive and personal.

Storybook allows you to place a child directly at the centre of their own learning adventure, which is key to holding their attention and helping them grasp new concepts,” he said.

• Nollywood films cast

The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) approved a total of 151 films for the month of June 2025 against 53 films earlier reported erroneously.

The approval also revealed the growing consistency of top production houses like ROK Studios, Silverbird Distribution, and OSSYKing Movies, which featured prominently in this month’s listings.

Breakdown of classifications from the Censors Board website shows that 71 were classified as rated-18 years, out of the 151 films approved.

62 films were rated 15, thirteen movies got an age 12- rating, 3 films were marked ‘G’ for general viewing and two of the movies were classified PG (Parental Guidance).

This classification points to a growing shift toward mature, emotionally complex storytelling, with 18-rated titles accounting for nearly half of the approved films.

This classification underscores a noticeable dominance of 18-rated titles and English-language productions.

It also reflects the increasing pace of local film production across regions and genres.

English-language productions accounted for the bulk of the approvals, continuing their stronghold as Nollywood’s dominant medium.

However, a fair share of Yoruba and Igbo titles also made the list, reaffirming the role of indigenous voices in the cinematic landscape.

Notably approved indigenous-language films include Obim (Igbo), Iyawo Eniyan and Ajegunle Lawa (Yoruba) and Itene (Idoma).

There was no hausa-language films approved during the month, marking a recurring gap in representation from the North.However, Itene produced in Idoma, was one of the few from the Middle Belt.Among studios with multiple entries include ROK Studios had a strong presence with films like Perfect Wife, Strings of Love, Hidden Truth and My Sugar Daddy, primarily rated 15 and 18.Silverbird Distribution secured approvals for Rebirth of King Kong and Jurassic World Rebirth, both notable for their international appeal.

OSSYKing Movies had a consistent output with Stray Bullet, Palace of Torment, and The Cost of a Lie, all within the 15–18 range.

The Executive Director of the NFVCB, Dr. Shaibu Husseini reaffirmed the Board’s stance on guiding responsible storytelling and content regulation.

“We are committed to encouraging stories that reflect Nigeria’s values and cultural richness while ensuring public safety through proper classification,” he said.