Veteran actor, Kola Oyewo, opens up on prostate enlargement battle

Veteran Nollywood actor Kola Oyewo has revealed that he has been battling prostate enlargement, explaining how the condition affected his acting career and kept him away from the screen.

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The 80-year-old made this known during a visit by fellow actor Kunle Afod to his residence, where he spoke about his health challenges and reduced presence in movies.

According to Oyewo, the illness limited the kinds of roles he could take on, forcing him to step back from more demanding performances.

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“Before now, I could go from one location to another and play any role, but the illness has laid me back. I can no longer play certain roles except for some minor roles.

“I thank God because I’m getting better now. You can’t go through some kind of sickness and go back to how you’ve been before, but I thank God,” he said.

He explained that the condition began with symptoms such as sleepless nights and frequent urination, which later led him to seek medical attention.

“There are so many people of my age that are still stronger than I am, but I thank God for preserving my life. I drove myself to the hospital after having sleepless nights, frequent urination and sometimes urinating on my body before I got to the toilet. After a series of tests, I was diagnosed with an enlarged prostate,” he said. 

Oyewo, who joined the Nigerian film industry in 1964, rose to prominence with stage and screen productions including The Gods Are Not to Blame and Sango.

Beyond acting, he also worked as a lecturer at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, from 1996 until his retirement in 2011.