Veteran comedian Alibaba has expressed serious concerns about the lack of professionalism among some Nigerian comedians, particularly when performing at corporate events.
Speaking on a recent episode of the Outside The Box podcast, the self-styled 'King of Comedy' revealed that certain comedians in the industry lack decorum and often cross boundaries with inappropriate jokes that insult sensibilities.
"There are about three Nigerian comedians who I can't stand. They have no decorum. They insult sensibilities. You try to correct them, they won't listen to you. You send them to a corporate event and they do dirty jokes," Alibaba stated.
Corporate Event Gone Wrong
Alibaba recounted a particularly troubling incident where he recommended a comedian for a corporate function, only to receive complaints afterward. The comedian had made an insensitive joke about the company chairman's plus-size wife.
"Somebody called me one time to complain about one of them that he made a joke about his plus-size wife. He said, 'If a race happens now and everyone has to carry their wives and run, you can't carry this woman and run.' I was like, that's below the belt," he explained.
When confronted about the inappropriate joke, the comedian reportedly downplayed the situation and even suggested that Alibaba was jealous of his success, saying, "He even told somebody that I was only confronting him because he was shining."
Protecting Industry Standards
While Alibaba refrained from naming the comedians in question to avoid jeopardizing their careers, he emphasized that comedians should know where to draw the line and focus on creating intelligent content rather than resorting to offensive material.
The veteran entertainer's comments highlight ongoing concerns about professionalism in Nigeria's comedy industry, particularly as comedians increasingly secure corporate gigs that require a different approach than club performances or social media content.
Alibaba, who has been in the industry for decades, is widely respected for helping to establish stand-up comedy as a viable profession in Nigeria and mentoring many successful comedians.
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