#NECLive8: Not Everybody Can Be Funny – Bovi

One of Nigeria’s most celebrated comedians, Bovi Ugboma, in a fireside chat at this year’s Nigerian Entertainment Conference (#NECLive), noted that comedy was a peculiar art, and not everyone could easily get into it.

“First of all, you need to know your strengths,” the comedian emphasised. “When I talk to these creatives, I say, ‘know your strengths, know what you are good at.’ Not everybody has the ability to be funny. There are people who don’t have the ability to be funny, but they can think of funny scenarios. You must evolve because disruption is the order of the day. Create content that can be relatable.”

Bovi added: “I usually tell people, ‘don’t give what you don’t have.’ Ultimately, the world wants to see what they haven’t seen before. The world wants to relate, so when you make content that goes out there, the rest of the world may not catch up with it, maybe because of the literature behind that content. But as time goes on you will find a way, because as you are trying to feed the world, the world is feeding you too. The ‘90s comedy scene was when stand-up comedians actively chased show producers and managers to gain a five-minute slot for shows. It was the only means for them to break out. Today, technology has greatly influenced how comedians build careers.

“There was a time when you would sit down and wait for the TV to start. Times were when you had to go to a TV station or a movie house to audition, but now everyone has a TV station. Your Instagram is your TV station, Tik Tok is your TV station. So it is a perfect opportunity for people to showcase their talent. You don’t even need to beg people to share your stuff, if it is good, people will share it.”