Oluwatosin Kupoluyi, aka Xtreme, a Nigerian comedian, has claimed that comedy is a key component in keeping people in Nigeria sane during trying times and that it’s unfortunate that “there are no royalties accruing to comedians for their creative works”.
Xtreme, who made the claim in an interview with Midweek Entertainment, added that 2023 would be a pivotal year for comedians to push their art to audiences around the world. He claimed that with the proper institutions and support in place, the Nigerian comedy business will prosper.
He said, “Trust me, we are making meaningful content that will attract Netflix, Amazon and other international distribution companies’ standards. We comedians are making more effort to distribute our stand-up shows and series to international distribution companies like Netflix, Amazon.
“Nigerian comedy industry has fallen short of this recognition, with the country’s top comic artists barely known beyond national borders. Some comedians already have specials on Netflix, but we need to explore and dominate this platform more.
“Everybody is now an online comedian. New media jokes are on the rise and fast gaining popularity on social media and even threatening the business of stand-up comedians. The art of stand-up comedy is struggling in Nigeria, especially with comedians choosing to go the route of Instagram skits.
“Unfortunately, there are no royalties accruing to comedians for their creative works. It thus becomes the famed ‘monkey dey work, baboon dey chop’ scenario, as any comedian can rehearse a joke as if it is their own.
“Humour is an essential ingredient in keeping Nigerians sane in these difficult times and I hope that with the right support and structures in place, the industry will thrive.”
Xtreme explained how his profession began by stating that his friends and family saw he had a sense of humour. He also added that hard effort and persistence allowed him to push himself to the level he attained.
Chronicles of Solo was Xtreme’s first attempt at producing quality TV content, and it was licenced to DSTV’s Africa Magic cable channel.
“Everybody is now an online comedian. New media jokes are on the rise and fast gaining popularity on social media and even threatening the business of stand-up comedians. The art of stand-up comedy is struggling in Nigeria, especially with comedians choosing to go the route of Instagram skits.
“Unfortunately, there are no royalties accruing to comedians for their creative works. It thus becomes the famed ‘monkey dey work, baboon dey chop’ scenario, as any comedian can rehearse a joke as if it is their own.
“Humour is an essential ingredient in keeping Nigerians sane in these difficult times and I hope that with the right support and structures in place, the industry will thrive.”
Explaining how his career started, Xtreme said his friends and folks realised he had a sense of humour, adding that he was able to push himself to the level he attained with hard work and consistency.
Xtreme’s first attempt in creating professional TV content was Chronicles of Solo, which got licensed to DSTV’s Africa Magic cable channel.
