By Segun Adebayo
Popular comedian and actor Ayo Makun, better known as AY, has revealed that the cost of getting top Nigerian music stars to appear on his comedy shows has risen sharply, with some artistes now demanding as much as N200 million.
AY made the disclosure while reflecting on the evolution of his annual comedy show, AY Live, and how the relationship between comedians and music stars has changed over the years.
According to the comedian, Wizkid, Davido and other leading Nigerian artistes have all performed at AY Live since the show began.
He said such appearances were previously made possible largely through personal relationships and friendships within the entertainment industry.
“Since the beginning of AY Live, Wizkid, Davido, and every major Nigerian artiste have all performed at AY Live. Those days, many appearances were made possible through friendship,” AY said.
The comedian explained that artistes in the past were often willing to accept modest payments primarily to cover their logistics and other expenses.
“An artiste would accept any reasonable amount to cover their logistics, but today, the Nigerian musicians charge ₦200 million, ₦120 million to appear on my show,” he added.
The comedian, who has hosted AY Live for years, suggested that the economics of staging comedy shows have therefore changed significantly, particularly when securing appearances from artistes with large commercial followings.