They may look funny and unserious, but they are cavorting to
the bank and living their dreams. Ali Baba, the father of stand-up comedians in
Nigeria, aptly captured in words, the profitability of comedy business when he
said: “comedy is a funny business, a very big business.”
Alibaba:
With over thirty years of performing on stage and hosting
events for almost all Nigeria’s former presidents and the present one, Ali Baba
sits at the apex. Even President Olusegun Obasanjo once jokingly accused him of
being overpaid for his performance. His Lekki mansion where he lives is said to
be worth more than N300 million alone.
Alibaba makes his money through a chain of businesses in
Lagos: as a reputed motivational speaker, a professional comedian patronised by
almost all the big brands and political bigwigs in the country. His net worth
is estimated to be over 3 billion naira. It is estimated that he performs in a
minimum of two events weekly at an average rate of 4 to 4.5million naira per
event. That would add up to about 400 million naira per annum!
