Meet Nigerian creators going global

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in June, Nigerian Comedian Isaac Olayiwola – known as Layi Wasabi on TikTok and Instagram, where he has more than 3 million followers combined – made his first trip to London. There, he had his favorite skit character 'the Law' endure British hijinks as if it were his first time. In one skit, the lawman – a silent but evil lawyer who can't afford an office – bumps into a local, played by the British-Congolese creator Benzo The1st. In sitcom fashion, Law breaks the fourth wall to wave to an unseen but audible studio audience as Benzo watches, confused and offended. In another, Olayiwola is associated with many years Internet British-Nigerian comedy creator and actor Tolu Ogunmefun to have the Law interfere in the relationship between an unpredictable gangster and his fed-up girlfriend. In another, it goes to treatment complaining that he can't find clients in London (“Everything seems to work here in the UK”).

Olayiwola wasn't just in London to film the content — it was also a reconnaissance mission. interviews and trying stand-up sets to see how his humor might translate. After breaking out as one of Lagos' most popular creators, he's become a top comic — not just in his region, but in the world.

He's not the only Nigerian comedy creator to capture the regional market — of the roughly 218 million people in the country, 70 percent are under the age of 30, and local brands are often willing to offer advertising deals to social media stars. Some of these creators say they want to expand their audience and profitability and are looking elsewhere to do so. They say Rolling Stone they want to be the kind of megastars they grew up watching, like Eddie Murphy, Kevin Hart and Ellen DeGeneres. But instead of assimilating to Western tastes, these creators keep their Nigerian communities and culture in mind — and find success.

“My latest hobby is making money,” jokes Eniola Olanrewaju, known as Korty EO on YouTube, where she has more than 300,000 subscribers. Her content varies — in her documentaries Flow with Courty, spends time with Afrobeats artists like stream and Ayra Starrwhile on her show love or lies sets up real singles on blind dates. Her content is cinematic, emotional and comedic and examines the lives of people she believes have been misunderstood, such as when the famous low-key singer Tems he opened up to her that she had never been in love. “Love is when you see the person — the person's essence [Pidgin for buttocks] it's open and you're like 'I still want it,'” Tems said honestly. Korty believes that this type of work transcends the place.

“I can do this all over the world and it will connect with every person,” says Korty. “But my roots remain Nigerian.” Part of her motivation to expand her reach is to create more avenues for Nigerian creatives to tell stories about their communities. “We are very hardworking and ambitious people, but there is also a lot of poverty here,” he says. “That's the importance of collaborations with other people on other continents – it just brings more eyes to the beauty that's happening [here].”

Olufemi Oguntamu also works to create pathways. Oguntamu — who goes by Penzaar, a nickname he inherited from his father — was actually an influencer himself, able to rally his entire campus with a text in the age of BlackBerry Messenger. He went on to build one agency This has helped about 20 African creators navigate brand deals, cultivate engagement and structure their content, he says. He has observed that fashion, technology and food videos are doing well in Nigeria, but none as good as comedy. While people might just bookmark a great cook-with-me demo or recipe, if something makes them laugh, they share it. “With comedy, you tend to get popular faster,” says Oguntamu.

Isaac Olayiwola is one of Oguntamu's clients. As Layi Wasabi, with his broad frame and wide smile, Olayiwola has one of the most recognizable faces on the Nigerian youth internet. “Layi is extremely intelligent,” says Ibukun Filani, who earned his Ph.D. in linguistics at the University of Ibadan studying African comedy. In pan-African folktales, tricksters have always been an important archetype, Filani explains. They reflect hope and resourcefulness in difficult circumstances. Olayiwola has played in it. “What sells Layi is that it reflects what life is like in Nigeria,” says Filani.[His] The lawyer is poorly paid and goes from court to court to get people to charge it [he] might make some money.” Another of Olayiwola's characters, Mr. Richard, is going around town promoting a get-rich-quick scheme on WhatsApp with clever words and finesse.

SoooooThe Maryam Apaokagi genre, another popular webcomic, pokes fun at Nigerian gender roles and social norms while impersonating each member of a rowdy family. Filani compares Apaokagi's work to Tyler Perry's. “You might just find Madea's image on Taaooma in some of her skits where she is mother. Then, it also represents the struggles of a girl growing under [that mother’s] strict supervision, who doesn't have it [freedom].” Apaokagi wants to make films, she says, and she “definitely” wants a Western audience. She believes she can stay true to herself to get it. “There's something they say — if you want to win the whole world, at least win your community first,” he recalls. “When you reach out to other places, your community will support you. Well, that's what I tried to do.”