By Oladapo Udom
Lagos – Idowu Noel, a comedian popularly known as “Koffi”, on Thursday advised young comedians in the country to project cultural values in their jokes to further promote the nation’s traditions.
He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that most of the up and coming comedians in the industry cracked baseless jokes that held no value, as a way of remaining relevant.
“I have studied the market terrain and seen the junk in the system.
“I urge the younger generation to try as much as possible to avoid junk entertainment to ensure that fans get value for their money.
“We, the older comedians in the profession, are trying to project valuable contents that will promote our values, culture and tradition as a people, rather than just wanting to be funny,” he said.
Koffi said that attempts had been made in the past to have an association but the effort failed because of the independent nature of of the profession.
“Comedians are entrepreneurs who can stand on their own unlike actors and musicians who depend on producers, directors and their industry’s wherewithal to survive.
“This independence makes it difficult to bring such people together because you cannot tell a comedian how to cast his own jokes, or what to charge his clients.
“This nature rather makes comedians independent; so, to bring them together for a collective purpose is very hard because a comedian can function solely on his own,” he said.
Koffi, however, said that he had mentored some young comedians who took examples from him and were doing the right things and performing exemplary among their peers.
“Individual mentoring is just what we need to do, to teach the younger generations how to add quality contents to jokes, and effect the change we desire in the profession,” he said.
The comedian noted that he had some products which he was gradually building to the public consciousness that would soon be made known as the year unfolds.
According to him, some of the products include a movie titled “Mumble Jumble”, which will premiere in February.
“Others are “Awada Express Live Show”, which will hold in the U.K. for Easter and also in Canada in May among many others that will be unfolded later on in the year, ” he said.