For comedians and lovers of comedy in Nigeria, the celebration of Easter usually comes with heavy doses of laughter. This is because of the several comedy shows that normally hit major cities across the country that weekend. Amongst the many shows, are AY-LIVE Easter Sunday show and Gbenga Adeyinka’s LAFFMATAZZ; which usually moves from one city to the southwest part of the country to another.
But this year, none of these shows held. For the highly anticipated show, AY-LIVE Easter Sunday, its host Ayo Makun aka AY Comedian; said it couldn’t be held as planned due to raging COVID-19. In an interview with Channels TV Metrofile, AY Comedian lamented that although millions of naira had been spent on publicity and planning of the show; it could only hold virtually.
“We all didn’t see this coming. Even when I fixed my show, I was 100 per cent confident that the show was still going to hold on the basis of Easter Sunday was going to come. I was busy planning with my management, and other members of my team; until the reality of this COVID-19 dawned on us. AY Live was bid for Easter Sunday (April 12, 2020), but then we had to postpone it.”
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“It was very sad to make that announcement having spent a lot of money on publicity, performances; amongst other things that we thought will make the event memorable. But at the end of the day, we had to face the reality; the lives of the people coming for the show are much more important than you; just going there all in the name of making money,” he stated in the interview.
Like AY Comedian, veteran stand-up comedian and actor, Atunyota Akpobome AKA Ali Baba, popular host and comedian, Babatunde Adewale aka Tee A; amongst others also bear the brunt of the ongoing lockdown and ban on social gatherings, which are measures instituted to curtail the spread of COVID-19.
How COVID-19 suspended their livelihoods
Just before the end of March, President Muhammadu Buhari announced the suspension of all live events and social gatherings. This followed the diagnosis of the index and a number of other COVID-19 cases in Nigeria. Almost three months on, this suspension is still in force and a lot of comedians whose mainstay were from events that hold almost every day in the country have been particularly hit.
Speaking with Channels TV Metrofile, Ali Baba said comedians are the worst hit by COVID-19 lockdown; given that they relied mostly on everyday engagement to earn their livelihoods. His words; “We are the people in the entertainment industry, who rely on everyday earnings to survive. We live by events that come to us, and that means we survive on what we earn per engagement.”
“You can’t understand the number of shows that have been cancelled. AY Live was cancelled, Buchi’s show was cancelled… I was supposed to have a show. My only contribution was to select winners, but that has also been cancelled. There are so many comedians, who provide platforms for other people to grow, from dancers, poets, musicians, and big artistes, and perform, that too has also stopped.”
“So, it has affected us greatly.”
Sharing Ali Baba’s sentiment, Tee A said comedians are presently not making any revenue due to the infectious disease. According to him, a lot of events couldn’t be held anymore due to COVID-19, and future events are what most comedians are looking forward to. “A lot of us had events prior to the lockdown, but everything is now affected due to the cutting down of gatherings to about 20 persons and shutting down of event centres. Future events are what we are even thinking about now.”
“For instance, It will surprise you to know that I was supposed to work throughout the month of April, but all the events are gone… basically, no revenue is coming in. We are all just breathing, while we are trying to figure out when all these will pass.”
For popular comedienne, Bose Ogunboye, otherwise known as Lepacious Bose; people wrongly believe that being an entertainer makes everything perfect for her, even amid the pandemic. In an interview with Daily Sun, the comedic actor lamented that the consequence of COVID-19 is harsher on comedians, as uncertainty surrounds when people will start gathering together again for events. ‘
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“There is no work anywhere, everybody is going through the pandemic. All businesses are shut down, people are broke, companies are closing, and people are being sacked. It is nothing unusual being an entertainer, it is just that our own work comes weekly and we need the crowd.”
“The only difference is we are more in uncertainty because we don’t know when people will start gathering again. I guess people wrongly believe that the life of entertainers is luxurious and glamorous and so, they just assume that we are fine. Really we are all struggling; everybody is struggling,” she said.
Similarly, Mandy Uzonitsha, Nigeria leading comedienne said since there is no event at the moment, comedians are stranded. “Who dey call you for event now, except they get burial ceremony. But who dey even bury now?” she queried in an interview with Daily Sun.
Stand-up Comedians Take to the Internet
AY Comedian admitted that the raging COVID-19 pandemic has brought stand-up comedy to a standstill, leaving “all eyes on the Internet.” Thus, he debuted a comedy series on YouTube for lovers of his brand. “Aside from the AY Live show that was hosted online this year, I now have a comedy series on YouTube. I think the pandemic even came timely for my latest work, which is the comedy series.”
Amongst the many A-list comedians who have taken to the internet to remain on top of their game, Gbenga Adeyinka, otherwise known as CFR, the popular Master of Ceremony and comedian who had his annual comedy show, LAFFMATTAZZ, postponed indefinitely, has begun an online comedy programme tagged, D LAFFMATTAZZ LEGEND SERIES. The show which features industry stakeholders, mostly comedians and actors, has been attracting thousands of viewers who now look forward to the show every evening.
On how COVID-19 has affected him and influenced his decision to try new things like taking his art online, he told Daily Independent that “COVID-19 qualifies as another low for me and my industry. As it is now, we are on a shutdown. My shows have been postponed.” “
My major sponsors have realigned sponsorship until 2021.”
“I took out loans for initial planning to get things done and creditors are calling. I, however, believe that tough times like this don’t last and that with creative ideas and thinking as well as diversification, we can overcome and I will. Initially, I was depressed but now my outlook is bright and I’m fighting.”
Also on this list is popular comedian Bright Okpocha AKA Basket Mouth. He recently disclosed his intention to continue dominating the industry, when he premiered Sunday Nite Laughs, a new comedy show that would be held every Sunday for 13 weeks.
Check out the post below:
Addressing the paradigm shift in the comedy industry, Ali Baba who played an active role in commercialising comedy in Nigeria; said the COVID-19 has shifted a lot of people’s attention online. He explained that while some comedians were already established online before COVID-19, many others are accepting the gospel newly.
The comedian was recently appointed to head an ad hoc committee to advise the government on the effect of the pandemic on the creative sector.
Torrid period for stand-up comedians
Ali Baba AKA the King of Comedy admitted in the Channels TV Metrofile interview that comedians were hitherto some of the busiest professionals in Nigeria. The veteran comedian noted that when they were not working as comedians spicing up events, they worked as MCs at weddings, book launches, birthdays, funerals, and housewarming parties.
He informed further that a comedian could make as much as N300,000 to N3 million per day. His words; “A comedian could earn N1 million when he attends 2-3 events, where they pay him N300,000 each. Sometimes, you even get a comedian that is very good, that will earn that N1 million per event. And if you have a comedian who has 2-3 events in a day, he can claim like N1- 3 million naira.”
But the COVID-19 situation with the lockdown and suspension of public gatherings attending has put a lock on this rosiness. Even though some of these comedians have found an alternative platform of expression on the internet, it does not come with the dividends of stand up comedy.
The stiff competition online
Before COVID-19 in Nigeria, there was a classification among comedians. Putting a context to this, Ali Baba said: “There are comedians who are stand-up comedians, and there are comedians like MC Lively, Lasisi Elenu, and the little Emmanuela, who are skit makers, they do strictly online comedy.”
Since the COVID-19 lockdown, skit makers like Mr Macarani, Taaooma, Lasisi Elenu, Woli Arole, amongst others, have been shining like bright lights with humorous skits, leaving people reeling with laughter. Some of them identify as influencers and act as ambassadors for companies and brands for advertisement and advocacy. But things have become a bit stiffer with the incursion of some of the already well-known comedians on the internet.
The King of Comedy himself admitted as much when he said; “A lot of comedians who have not been online are now trying to catch-up because you have a fan base that needs to be fed; relevance that needs to be maintained”. He admitted that this relevance is not necessarily about making money, but maintaining the loyalty of fans and “ensuring that you are putting yourself in the mind of prospective customers.”
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That, however, does not take the place of millions that stand up comedians have lost to the pandemic; as well as the difficulty this has placed them in. Even as they find alternative means of making ends meet while the pandemic lasts, comedian Tee A, however; said there is a big lesson for the future from the current situation.
This lesson is: “One thing that is so clear this period is that we waste a lot of time doing businesses. Come for a meeting here and there, going across states to have a ten minutes conversation. Now, everybody is on zoom, everyone is working from home. So operationally, we need to need to adjust to the new way of doing things.”
“More so, COVID-19 has brought the need to evaluate what we are doing, our business processes, and lifestyles. Where do we cut excesses? How do we manage? Where do we start saving? Do we have other sources of income? are mind-boggling questions for everyone begging for answers.”
