As a kid, Alleluia Atunyota ‘Ali Baba’ Akpobome wanted to be many things. He wanted to be a soldier because his father was one, he wanted to be an F1 driver because he saw a lot of Volkswagen drivers as a kid and an athlete just because FESTAC ‘77 happened. As destiny would have it, Ali Baba found his calling as an undergraduate at the then Bendel State University (now Ambrose Alli University). From performing at a tiny undergraduate event Ali Baba went on to become a pioneer in Nigeria’s comedy industry and is considered a legendary comedian today. How did he get here and why do Nigerian comedians pay tribute to him?
“My first performance was by accident, and I got paid about N50. That was around 1987, and my allowance from home was around N100, N120. From earning N50 to N100 per show, for making people laugh, I reasoned that comedy could fetch me serious money if well packaged,” he told Vanguard in a 2012 interview.
On getting to Lagos, Ali Baba was able to secure a job at an advertising agency while he performed at corporate and social events on the side. Soon he started to appear on TV shows with Patrick Doyle, Charly Boy and Danladi Bako. He also made cameo appearances on radio shows with Bisi Olatilo, Soni Irabor and Mani Onumonmu. Each show he performed at or platform he got on, Ali Baba used it to promote himself and his services. He even started placing adverts in newspapers, billboards, car stickers, and radio jingles. No one had ever seen anything quite like it. He quit his job after a while and has not looked back since.
Over his 30-year-plus career, Ali Baba has taken a lot of aspiring comedians like Teju Babyface, Tee A and Basket mouth under his wing and supported their career in its earliest stages. Along with Mohammed Danjuma, Ibokoko, Basorge Tariah, Agoma and Alarm Blow, Ali Baba soon became one of the pioneers of stand-up comedy – with all its commercial underpinnings.
Why Nigerian Comedians Pay Tribute To Alleluia Atunyota ‘Ali Baba’ Akpobome
