Comedy in Nigeria is big business. From standup comedians to skit makers and actors, Nigeria has got them all. In this article, we look at the top 10 comedians in Nigeria. Check them out below:
1. AY
AY began as Ali Baba’s personal assistant and event manager. His collaboration with Ali Baba helped him develop into a professional comedian. The performer began in Ali Baba’s Fans Club in Victoria Garden City (VGC).
In 2006, Ayo Makun gained prominence after performing at an Opa Williams comedy concert. Since then, he’s become one of Nigeria’s top comedians. AY is popular for his annual comedy show, AY Life, and he has a number of top-grossing Nollywood movies to his name.
2. BasketMouth
Basket-Mouth began dabbling in comedy in 1995 and went pro four years later. He had already established himself in the field by 2000. He was chosen by Tequila Events to play alongside Julius Agwu on a tour named ‘Play It Safe Tour’ which spanned over 30 higher institutions in Nigeria.
He also played at the ‘Hanging Out With The Home Boys’ concert, which was hosted by none other than Lagbaja. But Basket Mouth became a household celebrity after Alibaba brought him to Opa Williams, who then featured him in the famed Night Of A Thousand Laughs event.
3. Bovi
Bovi aspired to be an comedia since he was a child, and his family encouraged him to do so. He began his career as a reporter at Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) before moving to Lagos in 2004 and attempting to break into the entertainment scene.
During that time, he was Richard Mofe Damijo’s personal assistant, and Damijo mentored and coached him. In September 2006, Bovi formed his own production company. In April 2007, Bovi’s comic career took off when he starred in, produced, and created the hit sitcom ‘Extended Family’.
4. Akpororo
Akpororo has come a long way. His first try in the AY’s Open Mic Challenge saw him come second, and his second attempt saw him win. After performing at “Basketmouth’s Laff and Jam” show in 2013, he went on to play in several comedy shows like “AY Live”.
In August 2014, he performed his first major comedy event “Akpororo vs Akpororo” at the MUSON Centre’s Shell Hall. Famous musicians and comedians attended the new event. That year also, Akpororo began acting, starring in films including Headgone and The Antique, which garnered him three Golden Icons nominations in 2015.
5. Lasisi
Lasisi started off as an MC and musician. His first attempt at comedy was via WhatsApp. Lasisi would create and post comedic routines. In August 2017, he created a new Instagram account called Lasisi Elenu and began posting video sketches.
His debut Instagram video, posted on August 11th, 2017, was an instant hit. The video focused on potholes on Lagos roadways. This video raised his Instagram following from 200 to over 10,000 in two days. Lasisi’s videos are currently viewed by over 4 million people on social media.
6. Mr Macaroni
Mr Macaroni left school in 2014 to pursue an acting career at PEFTI. After leaving PEFTI, he began attending film auditions. His debut role was in Halima Abubakar’s “Mistresses”. Face2face, Jenifa’s Diary, House 31, Royal Outlaw, and SuperStory are among his film and TV credits.
He chose the name Mr. Macaroni after playing an extra in the film Face2Face. Maraji and Broda Shaggi inspired Mr Macaroni to create skits after seeing their huge reach. He’s become a household name in the entertainment sector thanks to his catchphrases like “freaky freaky”, “ooin”, “fantabulous”, “you are doing well”.
7. Broda Shaggi
Broda Shaggi has always been a showman, leading his classmates in ethnic dance at school. He grew up singing in the church choir. He picked Creative Arts as his university career since he loved drawing and visual arts.
During his secondary school years, the actor represented his school in a state art competition, winning 100,000 Naira. However, when he learned that selling artwork in Nigeria was impossible, he turned to acting.
Shaggi began his comedy career with theater plays. The average gentleman comedy did not win him any popularity so he chose to try Agbero style, which won him fame.
8. MrFunny
Mr Funny entered the world of comedy during Student Union Week at UNIPORT during his school days. He began by posting one-minute comedy videos on his own Instagram page, emulating Mr Ibu and Charles Inojie. Famous influencers like Tunde Ednut and others fell in love with his artistry.
His talent to make people laugh led him to celebs reposting his videos and a huge fan base. Achieving success in the Nigerian entertainment industry while integrating education and comedy has never been simple, but Mr Funny has been and remains one of the few who stand out with their ingenuity.
9. Sydney Talker
Sydney Talker is another new-age Nigerian comedian on social media. He’s most popular for his skits and he currently has more than 3 million followers on Instagram. Sydney is a graduate of UNIBEN where he read computer science. He broke into limelight in 2016 with his The Poor Power Supply skit.
10. Mark Angel
Mark Angel is most known for his YouTube comedy videos, Mark Angel Comedy, which involve Emmanuella Samuel and Success. He was shot to limelight by the well-known short comedy “Oga Landlord”. Angel’s longest-running actress is Emmanuella Samuel.
She has won YouTube awards in Africa and Australia for her work with Mark Angel. Mark Angel Comedy was recognized by YouTube for reaching one million subscribers in 2017. It was the first Nigerian YouTube channel to do so. Also, in 2018, Samuel got cast in a new Disney film.