Content creators strive for worldwide recognition, from professional validation to respect from content consumers. The Ikorodu Bois, in their early years, are already deservedly recipients of this recognition.
The group that mimics and recreates popular big-budget productions of movies and music videos are some of the youngest in the Nigerian skit industry, making waves internationally.
Ikorodu Bois, consisting of three siblings, Babatunde Sanni (25), Muiz Sanni (17), Malik Sanni (12), and their cousin, Fawas Aina (15), recreates videos with local and revamped materials as replicas for luxury pieces.
Ikorodu Bois resulted from Babatunde Sanni’s view of his siblings during family time at home. The group’s creative director mentioned that he was inspired to share his siblings’ content online after seeing how playful and funny they were at home.
Babatunde, the group’s video editor, studied at the University of Lagos, where he was initially making and editing comedy skits. At that point, he learnt the basics of video editing, a skill he would later deploy to make globally-acclaimed skits as a member of Ikorodu Bois.
The Sanni brothers, who got their names from their neighbourhood in Ikorodu, a suburb of Lagos that shares a boundary with Ogun State, have used their originality and resources to make themselves a viral sensation.
Since they were shot into the limelight in 2018, they have gathered accolades from international and local filmmakers. In 2020, their remake of a scene in the trailer of ‘Extraction 2’, which went viral on the internet, earned them an invite to the premiere of ‘Extraction 2’ by Hollywood producers The Russo Brothers.
American actor Will Smith also commended Ikorodu Bois, referring to them as ‘genius’ after sharing a clip of them reenacting a scene from the ‘Bad Boys Forever’. They’ve also received recognition from “Money Heist” star Alvaro Monte, Steve Harvey and rapper Roddy Rich.
Their unique artistry earned them professional filmmaking gear from Netflix, and the spotlight of their journey in a Netflix Oscar Weekend Film Brand campaign displayed at Time’s Square in New York City in April 2021.
In 2021, they were also nominated for the Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Award for the Favourite African Social Media Star.
Asides from parody, the comedians have revealed plans to delve into acting after getting offers from renowned Nigerian filmmakers like Kunle Afolayan and Jade Osiberu. In five years, these young creatives have made an impact that has earned them over 1 million followers on Instagram.
The Ikorodu Bois has now been named the ‘Most Popular Comedian’ at this year’s edition of NET Honours, beating the likes of Mr Macaroni, Basketmouth, Sabinus, Taaoma, Broda Shaggi and more.
