By Henry Akubuiro
While Nollywood and Afrobeats stars have captured the imagination of the world for over two decades, making theirs a multi-billion dollar business, a distant cousin in the Nigerian entertainment industry –skit making – is giving the big brothers a good run for their money, gradually becoming one of the highest employers of labour in Nigeria’s burgeoning creative industries.
From Facebook, Instagram to TikTok, Nigerian skit makers are having a ball nowadays. Many youths are being taken off the harsh labour markets, new stars are born and new millionaires are made on a regular basis.
What’s a skit? A skit is a short parody where performers mock different aspects of life, be it an individual, institution, situation or an existing piece of art. In Nigeria, many skit makers focus on current affairs, everyday life or the seamy side of life.
Usually satirical in their presentation, it’s often loaded with humour, comical references meant to make us roll over with laughter and enticing spectacles But making everybody laugh on screen is not often as easy as cracking an eggshell. Many, however, have been doing that effectively, nay, have made names for themselves.
Because there is not much professional training required for the vast majority of Nigerian skit makers, aside from having the raw talents, many short skits have succeeded to make it to social media platforms due to the unrestricted freedom offered by the platform to create and recreate content.
Kamo, a popular Yoruba skit maker, said in a recent media interview, that, while some established Nigerian skit makers make an average of $20,000 a month, others make more than that monthly. With the present dollar exchange rate, that amounts to over 16 million naira a month through skits for an established act in the field.
But Saturday Sun discovery shows that it doesn’t just require having talents and making good sketches that make comedic performers online earn thousands of dollars monthly; skit makers leverage on their popularity to attract adverts and endorsement deals and online streaming, too.
In its report on ‘Skit Economy: An Assessment of Digital Content Creators in Nigeria,’ API submitted that skits were useful in creating awareness about social trends. While 83 per cent of respondents identified the role of skits in correcting societal ills, 90 per cent acknowledged the potential of skits for employment generation in Nigeria.
One of the most popular skit makers in the country, Mr. Sabinus, said in an interview with Ebuka Uchendu, making money on social media had gone beyond Instagram and Facebook platforms: “Right now, I can boldly say TikTok is pulling it much more than Instagram. We have a YouTube audience, too. Instagram is just the main platform, because you get to meet the audience there, but there’s a massive audience on Facebook.” Little wonder, it’s bursting at the seams at the moment.
Creating content, he added, had become so lucrative in Youtube that content creators now earn roughly 15 to 20 million naira every month. “So, if tomorrow that person buys a house, you would say it’s fraud. No, it doesn’t work that way,” he said.
Sabinus’ revelation seems to be a timely answer to those investigating the opulent lifestyles of Nigerian skit comedians. Painting a broader picture, he said: “Facebook is the only one that is even monetised, not even Instagram. And YouTube is monetised. So, if Instagram is no longer available, I still have Facebook, which will pay me, and YouTube, which will also pay me. So content creation is right now for me. It’s a career. It’s helped so many people.”
“The Internet has a lot of potential,” added Isaac Aloma, aka Zocsaloma. “I have endorsements and have run ads for some notable brands. Online platforms also pay me.”
So big is skit making business in Nigeria recently that Dataleum, a global talent accelerator, ranked it as the third largest entertainment industry in the country with a net worth of over 50 billion naira.
Just like in the music industry where Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, Rema, Asake and a host of other Nigerian stars have broken commercial records and streaming digits, the digital space has helped Nigeria skitmakers set new records. Their products are not only consumed at home and in Africa but worldwide.
Charles Okocha (popular for his American slangs and Jay Z archetyping), Taaooma, Mr. Macaroni, Obotuke Timothy Ochuko Sirbalo (popularly known as Sirbalo), Brain Jotter (Emmanuel Amuzie), Mark Angel, are among the top skit makers in Nigeria, probably among the richest, driving posh cars, buying houses and living comfortable lifestyles comparable to mainstream actors like Jenevieve, Omotola, Ramson Noah and Kanayo O.Kanayo.
Okocha, in particular, has an estimated networth of $50 million dollars. Also known as Igwe 2Pac, the renowned actor, comedian and musician has gained a huge fanbase in African entertainment from his early days in Nollywood with his animated and exuberant roles.
His consolidated fame recently began with his Instagram skits, which quickly went viral. Also, his unique catchphrases on Facebook skits –”We are asaa” and “Are you phenomenal?” – have become singsongs.
Samuel Animashaun Perry, popularly known as Broda Shaggi’s interest for acting began as a youngster when he started acting drama, having been influenced by his late father, a drama teacher, known notable for his satirical plays. Broda Shaggi has also featured in Nollywood blockbusters, like Namaste Wahala and Fate of Alakada. His network is put at over $200 million dollars, making him the real McCpy.
Mr Macaroni (Adebowale Adedayo), popularly known as Mr Macaroni, apart from being an actor and skit maker, is a social activist. Highly vocal during the Endsars protests and the 2023 Presidential election, he is one of the most respected skit makers in the land. He isn’t a fortuitous actor, having been trained as a thespian. Noted for his political skits on social media, where he plays the role of a political maverick, a sugar daddy or a wicked lecturer, he has also featured in blockbuster Nollywood movies. His net worth is put at $160 million dollars, making him one of the richest in Nigeria.
Mark Angel started early as an entertainer with the name Emmanuella – the child comedienne –who, at a time, was the richest child in Nigeria. Mark Angel ranks as one of the richest skit makers in the country. Also a video producer, his comic skit “MarkAngel Comedy” made him the first African series creator to reach over a million subscribers on YouTube. His stereotypical characters include average Nigerian and sometimes children.
Mark Angel initially joined the Nollywood industry as a movie editor and Director of Photography (DOP) but had to quit when he couldn’t make ends meet. He then floated a Film Production House called Mechanic Pictures, leading to the creation of his popular YouTube page, MarkAngelComedy, on June 29, 2013. Today, he makes an incredible sum of $100,000 monthly on his YouTube channel, making him one of the top earners in the business.
Chukwuebuka Brain Jotter, also known as Emmanuel Amuzie, is another popular skit maker in Nigeria. He became well known for creating the skits, “I Don’t Care” and “Savage” attitudes.
Sirbalo, despite the wealth attributed to him, has denied being a billionaire, but he admitted that skit makers are rich: “I don’t know if skit makers are billionaires or not, but what I can tell you is that there is a lot of money to be made on online platforms. There are criteria to meet in order to monetise your skits. Basically, we have two major sources of monitising your content, which are Facebook and YouTube,” he said.
Though YouTube and Facebook platforms are strong sources of making money, Sirbalo noted that the majority of comedy skit makers in Nigeria hardly make the bulk of their money from these two platforms: “Majority of comedy skits makers rely heavily on revenues generated through personal promotions, endorsements and adverts,” he said.
To make it as a Naija skit maker, he suggested that “you have to be consistent, ready to learn from people, and always improve on your craft.” Before he became a content creator, he worked as an editor in Nollywood, including being a permanent editor to Mr Ibu. Learning the ropes, therefore, has helped him in the new forte.
Considering the new crave for skit making now, it’s important to pay heed to the voice of Sirbalo on how to make it as a beginner: “Follow the trend, take corrections where needed, and much more. I would advise them to be consistent and learn from other top skit makers. They should not be in a hurry to get fame, because maintaining fame also needs a lot of work.
“They shouldn’t compare their level of growth with others, as we are not all the same. While working to get the fame, also work to get the money, because success is when you’re famous and also have the finance to help yourself without having to bother anyone.”
For Akinyoola Ayoola, popularly known as Kamo, success in the business doesn’t come overnight. He became active on social media in 2013, having joined Facebook and Instagram, but couldn’t handle both at the same time successfully.
While many artists are flourishing as stand-up comedians and skit makers in English language, he, rather, chose to deliver in Yoruba language. He explained why: “Stand-up comedy in Nigeria is mostly done in English, and I wanted to be different. That was why I chose to do most of my skits in Yoruba”
He, thus, created his viral “NEPA Boys” based on things that he experienced. “I chose to start with the ‘NEPA Boys’ content, because it was something I grew up experiencing in Ibadan, Oyo State. When people start creating content, they often choose niches to start with, such as acting like a doctor or lawyer. I chose to act like a NEPA official.”
It has been argued, even in literature, that presenting a work of art in indigenous language might limit audiences compared to delivering in major foreign languages, like English, French, Portuguese, Arabic or Spanish. However, it has its own advantages, too, like carving a niche regionally.
“My plan,” said Kamo, “is to start creating content in the English language soon, so that I can reach English-speaking audiences as well. Language is a big barrier in entertainment, especially when it comes to content creation. However, in all honesty, we all cannot create content in the English language. Soon, I will be doing my skits both in Yoruba and English languages to carry everyone along.”
For him, the most challenging part of skit making is cinematography: “Sometimes, one could have a particular picture of how one wants the content to look like, but one might not be able to achieve that without the right cinematographer. Also, one cannot completely control the job of the cinematographer. One cannot determine what they should add or remove. They might also not get the kind of sound that would go well with the content.”
That’s not all. “Finance is also a part of the problem. The more money one has, the better content one would be able to create. Right now, I can create a cinema movie, but the only limitation I have is money,” he added.
Besides, there is also the fear of acceptance, for one can create funny content and still have little engagement, and “it would seem like nobody wants to comment and share the post. Sometimes, I wonder why a video that has 100,000 views would not have up to 5,000 comments. Whether good or bad, skit makers always want to know what viewers think about their works,” he said
Different figures have been bandied about on what skin makers make monthly in Nigeria. Unconfirmed sources said many of them are already multimillionaires and billionaires in naira.
Kamo explained: “There are some skit makers who make $20,000 a month, while some make even more. There are only a few professions that would do much. To be a part of the future in Nigeria, I am working on an academy that would be solely dedicated to content creation.”
Like what obtains in the South-West, skit makers have been mushrooming in the South-East. Hitherto unknown skit makers have suddenly become superstars with Igbo skits. Thriving on mischief, the randy man being the fall guy, these skit makers have succeeded in winning many converts.
In the last one year, Master Dukaduka of the Karikacho Comedy fame has become a household name in the Igbo comedy skit circle with his kungfu skits, where he becomes the Jacky Chan triumphing over adversaries and proving to be the nemesis of social miscreants..
His rising profile has been solidified with the numbers of veteran Nollywood, Igbo actors, notable actors and fellow skit makers on queue to feature him in their skits, where he also brings his mastery of kungfu and improvised ‘Chinko’ language to play, amid constant bouts of laughter.
Despite their popularity in Nigeria and Africa, Nigerian skit makers do not hold the record of being among the wealthiest comedians in the world. That record belongs to the American, Jerry Seinfeld, with a networth of $950 million. His hit, sitcom, has been viewed by hundreds of millions of viewers.
Its co-creator and star, Jerry Seinfeld, has leveraged on its success through his syndication deals and his fat, base salary. In 2019, Netflix paid $500 million to acquire the digital rights for only five years, a deal that catapulted Jerry Seinfeld to become the richest comedian in the world.
Shortly before he left office, former Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari, said Nigeria’s creative industry was positioned as the second largest employer with a potential to produce 2.7 million new jobs by 2025. He said: “After agricultural, the creative sector is the second largest employer of labour in Nigeria today,” he noted.
Worldwide, the creative economy is estimated to be worth $985 billion with no signs of slowing down. G20 Insights has predicted that the creative economy could account for 10% of global GDP by 2030, and Deloitte hinted that up to 40 per cent growth in creative sectors would be witnessed by 2030.
In 2012, former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele, said the creative industry was important to the Nigerian economy, with a revenue of about 4.5 billion dollars.
What this means is that, with Nigerian skit makers raising the bar with other creatives – musicians, actors, writers, fashion designers, publishers, advertisers, architects, the media, software and app creators, galleries, animators, among others – the Nigerian economy is on the part of redemption soon.