Comedy is regarded as one of the best sources of amusement, laughter and joy in the world. Foreign stand-up comedians like Kevin Hart, Jamie Fox, Chris Rock, the late Robin Williams, Jerry Seinfeld, and George Carlin, amongst others, are extremely famous across the world and can be said to be among some of the richest entertainers also. Stand-up comedy has become a source of livelihood for several Nigerians. Even those who are really not that funny have managed to carve a niche for themselves.
In every entertainment line presently, the business angles are now put into serious consideration by performers of the act. In Nigeria, endorsements, acting roles and even political roles are offered to stand-up comedians due to their popularity and the fact they are regarded as a channel of happiness to the sad, sorrowed or depressed.
Some of the untalented stand-up comedians that venture into comedy still try due to the fact that they believe comedy is now lucrative, they tap into it then fall out of it because they fail. Even those with high educational qualification dump their certificate base on the fact stand-up comedy is now a legitimate way of making cool millions and at the same time having fun. While some seem not to be too gifted with the unique act of satire or making an expectant crowd happy and satisfied with humorous jokes, others on the other hand are born with this gift and find it very easy to make any crowd laugh with the slightest attempt given to them.
Lots of comedians now charge their fans heavily to watch and listen to them perform. For instance A.Y LIVE: Happiness Edition of April 24, 2014, the tickets were on sale for N6,000 (Regular), N25,000 (VIP), N500, 000/N1,000,000 (Table for 10). That is how lucrative stand-up comedy has come to be in recent times, and the crowd recorded at such events are always overwhelming the price of the tickets notwithstanding as Nigerians, Caucasians and our brothers in the diaspora never miss the opportunity of hanging out with their loved ones for a good time over a round of hilarious jokes and theatrical satire acts performed by these stand-up comedians.
Before the present financial and social boom of stand-up comedy in the entertainment industry, classic Nigerian drama comedy series, such as Baba Sala, masquerade, the popular Mazi Mperempe programme on Radio Nigeria and old Anambra State Television, Enugu, in the 70s, 80s and early 90s were the only source of contemporary stand-up comedy. Worthy of note is the 30-minute programme on Radio Nigeria in Pidgin which featured Mazi Mperempe dishing out numerous rib cracking jokes, always starting with his popular slogan “Oluo n’onume…… onye agbana oso…!” meaning “the time for action has arrived….. Nobody should run away…!”
Stand-up comedy was left unexploited till a certain revolutionist in the mould of Alleuia Atunyota Akporobomeriere, alias Ali Baba came into the picture.
Ali Baba
Ali Baba came to the scene after acquiring a degree in Religious/Philosophy Studies from the then Bendel State University now Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma in 1990.
He relocated to Lagos having discovered his comic talent and humorous side in his third Year in University. He had planned to return to Ekpoma to read Law but that was not to be, since he discovered he could make more money from making people laugh than from defending them. Though he had little experience having performed in his first show in 1988, at the pavilion of the then Bendel State University, Ekpoma, Ali Baba knew exactly how to go about it. By 1998, Ali registered a company, Ali Baba Hiccupurathird. That year he erected three bill boards at strategic locations in Lagos: Ozumba Mbadiwe Street, Victoria Island; Marina; and Osborn road, Ikoyi, paying as much as N140, 000 for each billboard per year. The billboard carried a simple but heartfelt message: “Ali Baba- Being funny is Serious Business” and that signalled the evolution of stand-up comedy business-wise.
Ali Baba had featured on Friday Night Live, a popular Charly Boy Show and Night Train with Bisi Olatilo on the Network services of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). These made him a popular figure with viewers. Guinness decided to take him along on a nationwide tour for the launch of Satzenbrau beer in Nigeria. His contract with Guinness fetched him N1.5 million, his first million gotten from stand-up comedy at that time.
In one of his interviews, he recalled that “the appreciation level of stand-up comedy then was very low because a comedian was always the last on the list of events and the first to go if the event planner decides to cut cost.” It is an undisputed fact that Ali Baba gave stand-up comedy the face it is putting on today and has remained a dominant force in the industry, maintaining his status as the “King of stand up comedy” being the first comedian to be paid well in the country, driving a heavy monster truck, with personalised plates, “Ali Baba 1” and a Dodge Ram, registered as “Ali Baba 2” amongst others.
However, evolution of stand-up comedy to a lucrative business in Nigeria would not be well expatiated without giving credit to Opa Williams, for the development of modern stand-up comedy. Opa Williams, a native of Aradehe in Isoko North local govt of Delta State, had produced movies like Tears for love, Onome, Sergeant Okoro and Mama between 1993 and 1998. He conceptualised “Night of a Thousand Laughs” a public event first held on Sunday, October 1, 1995, at the University of Lagos, Akoka- Lagos. The event was a success theatrically but a massive failure in terms of financial returns, still that did not stop him and he came back with a follow up in 1996, this time with some partners and still encountered some financial recession but he persisted and after much perseverance and repackaging with new sponsors, Opa Williams made Nigerians realise that they had to pay to laugh, he made comedians realise that they can wear designers suits to perform as professionals and he taught comedians that stand-up comedy can be held in high profile venues with high profile personalities attracted to the event with high fees.
By Aderibigbe Tolulope
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