The undisputed king of Nigerian stand-up comedy, Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome aka Ali Baba has explained why he took delight in mentoring younger comedians to become stars.
He said he only committed to doing his work the best way he saw fit and people got attracted to him.
“I didn’t set out to make this much difference initially,” Ali Baba told Saturday Punch.
“I didn’t also set out to become the leading light in stand-up comedy. I was just doing my work and people felt it was good enough to associate with. Also, I think that if your success doesn’t make others a success, then you’re a failure. Your success should affect others positively. If not; then, it’s selfish success.
“When you check the lives of some of the pastors we follow, they also have some rough patches.
“The people that quote Paul in the Bible forget that he was once a murderer. Everyone has a past that they must live beyond; there are three ways to learn in life― it’s either you experience it personally, read about it, or see somebody else experience it.
“My greatest joy is seeing that something that I have started has grown into an industry. When I started comedy, it was just an art. Now, it has grown into an industry where you can find successful comedians who are doing big things and living good lives.”
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Ali Baba recently turned 55.