TO mark its third anniversary as well as give fun lovers a special treat this Yuletide, Afrotainment Productions will today, stage the Christmas edition of its monthly comedy show, Stand Up Nigeria. With notable artistes on parade, the two-part concert holds at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos. While the first show will open at 3pm and run through 6pm, the second gig holds from 7pm to 10pm.
In a chat with the producer of the show, Bunmi Davies, the Theatre Arts graduate informed that proper measures have been put in place to ensure guests have optimal fun at the show.
“Though millions watch the show every week on television stations across the country, the live audience still form an integral part of our brand. Most importantly, this is the last show for this year and we’ve put efforts to make it special for our fans. Besides, this is the third anniversary of the show; so, we are serving you nothing less than the best.”
In the last 26 months, Stand Up Nigeria has become one of the classiest comedy shows in the country, parading the best in the industry. From that humble start, the monthly event has become a platform for young talents to showcase themselves, while for the established acts; it is an opportunity to sustain their feat.
Presently running on 13 television stations across the country, Stand Up Nigeria had in the past, hosted distinguished Nigerians, who have contributed to the development of the entertainment industry, as well as providing avenue for young comedians to flourish.
“This is something worth celebrating for those who know our history. A show that started with less than 12 people in the audience at the first edition, now having 700 to 1000 people every month; it’s been interesting. In terms of performances, we will like you to come and see things for yourself; on Stand Up Nigeria, we don’t usually mention the artistes,” Davies enthused.

Though the beginning was tough for Davies, especially with no sponsorship from the corporate world, the production crew remained resolute, hoping for the big break someday.
“From day one, we knew it was an idea that will work, but we were not sure how long it would take for it to stand. From our calculations, we thought that in a few months, the show would be on and kicking.”
In reality, Davies and his men miscalculated, which became a major challenge.
“It took nine months,” he said amidst laughs. “In fact, after every edition, the production manager and myself would sit by City Mall and be saying to ourselves, ‘this loss is better; we didn’t lose like last month.’ In the real sense of it, we were calculating losses not gains. It was in the ninth month that we broke even. Sometimes, we make money to cover up, sometimes, the loss is enough to send you back to the village in ‘Ghana must go bag’,” he said, still laughing.
According to the producer, making money was actually not on top of the motives for the show from inception.
“In the first instance, we didn’t start this show to make money; all we wanted to do was create a platform to grow the industry. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like we didn’t plan to make income, but money was not our focus from inception. The idea is to grow more talents in the industry and also help set standards.”
Today, Stand Up Nigeria has become a home for all comedians in Nigeria as equal opportunity is given to every one to prove his/her worth.
“It was a carefully crafted plan. Remember, if you want to grow the industry, you have to carry everybody along. Don’t forget the fact that we, the organisers, are not comedians; so, the approach has to be different. A comedian wants to do a show, but an organiser is more interested in doing something regular; you must carry everybody along. We don’t want it to look like, ‘oh, this is Bunmi Davies’ show; we wanted something that will serve everybody. The most important thing here is, ‘are you good?’ We don’t do clique in Stand Up Nigeria; you don’t need to know anybody to get into the show; your talent is what we are interested in.”
The brand Stand Up Nigeria is now in three forms.
“Stand Up Nigeria Live, Stand Up Nigeria TV and Stand Up Nigeria Radio. What we are doing is to use comedy as a driving force to do a whole lot of things. We want to communicate and inspire people, but the attraction is comedy. We couldn’t just start and let that happen; we started from the area we are strong, which is comedy. For instance, in the last edition, we partnered with Road Safety to address the issue of safe driving. If we had called for a conference on this, a lot of people won’t show up. But we succeeded in getting people to pay money and listen to tips on safety on road.

To Davies, comedy business is not an all comer’s affair like many used to think.
“A lot of people think it’s an all comer’s affair, but that’s not true. Yes, the industry is not heavily regulated, the truth is that because it is a free market, everybody would like to come in, but it’s only the strong that survive. Hype can take you to an extent, but you must have content to be able to sustain your fan base and remain relevant.”
While many see the emergence of young comedians as a threat to the established ones, Davies views it a welcome development and good for the industry.

“It means growth; it means we are doing the right thing and getting the right attention. In those days, you dare not tell your father you want to be a comedian.

    Today, comedy is paying and a lot of people want to be in the business.”
As for the young comedians, “it is natural for them to try to impress the audience; they need to prove themselves. But for the likes of Ali Baba, what else do you want him to prove? So, sometimes, the established acts don’t necessarily need to struggle to impress; they are already brands with large following.”
After three years, Davies is confident that the show can run in his absence, having raised capable team.
“The show is not about me, it’s an effort of a collective team. It’s about having the right people, who are passionate about what they are doing. We have a very strong team that believes in the vision.”
Meanwhile, the show survived all through without corporate sponsorship.
“We don’t even believe in the word ‘sponsor; our proposals don’t go with that word. What we do is get people who believe in the project to partner with. If you are a partner in something, you want to grow it and make it bigger. We have a strong media partner in TVC and we are happy working with them. They’ve been part of Stand Up Nigeria from the beginning to date. Some people used to think the show was a TVC production; that tells you the level of partnership that exists between us.”

From comedy business, it appears Afroteinment is delving into other areas of production?
“It’s not like we’ve got to where we want to be; it’s still a dream. We want to be known for comedy and that’s our strength; that’s where we can play strongly. We are also involved in filming, weddings, corporate events, birthdays and the rest. Unlike the regular bring the cameraman, we take time to shoot wedding in a way that you would love to play it over and over again. We can even cut your wedding into a-45 minute tape and you would be proud to show it to friends, ‘that’s my wedding video.’ We have all the equipment and can assure you that the prize is not killing.”
In reality, the name Bunmi Davies is heavier than the man himself?
“It was a deliberate act to keep my personality away; up till today, I still ride on bikes. Besides, it helps me as a producer; it reduces sycophancy. With that strategy, you can get to do multiple tasks at once. And for the money side, it helps reduce my cost; area boys don’t get money from me like other stars,” he concluded.