“Stand-Up Comedy is dying in Nigeria” – Basketmouth cries out

Basketmouth who was a panellist at the recently held Social Media Week in Lagos disclosed that he still does not see enough comedians taking time to hone the craft of stand-up comedy.

The award-winning comedian who expressed his displeasure with comedians who take the easy route of only creating skits stated that there is no filter on stage.

Speaking on theme ‘Music, Content and Consumer Experiences…Changing The African Narrative’, Basketmouth urged comedians to improve their content for stand-up comedy.

“There’s nothing like a good joke. A joke can always be improved and even I often share some of my jokes with fellow comedians and they tell me it’s okay but tell me how to make it better. Doing skits on social media is very different from performing on stage. There is no filter on stage,” he said.

Basketmouth who encouraged consistency as opportunity for the next big gig might just be a view away, urged upcoming acts to work on their content and create a fan base for themselves before approaching brands and demanding showcase opportunities. He said;

“Create content that is buyable. All you need is good content and it will sell by itself.

The panel session, which had about 100 people in attendance, was moderated by Folu Storms, MTV Base video-jockey. Steve Babaeko, CEO of X3M Ideas Limited, and Ayeni Adekunle, founder of BlackHouse Media Group also gave their contribution.