The entertainment industry is one of the most lucrative in Nigeria, offering people unusual publicity and fame while also increasing their net worth. But how do all these work? And by the way, how do skit makers make so much money? In this post, you will learn how to become a skit maker and make money in Nigeria.
How to become a skit maker
Follow these steps to become a skit maker:
1. Learn how to act
Let’s talk about talent and skills. Before you can become a successful skit maker and make money in Nigeria, you have to possess talent and skills, or at least one of the two.
Usually, what most comedians have in the beginning is either talent or skill. The second half is earned later on after much training and practice. Regardless of the one you possess right from the start, you must learn how to act.
One of the things you can do to improve yourself is to enroll as a student in a local film school in Nigeria. Aside from becoming more professional, you will learn how to act and shoot videos with real cameras.
Imagine knowing how to use all those standard equipment, how to use lighting to your advantage, and having an insight into how all those action movies are made.
Although you won’t be applying all of that in most of your comedies, you will discover that your skits are top-notch and of very high quality. You will be a content creator and as time goes on, your skits may evolve to buy you valuable assets and become your main source of livelihood.
2. Pick up a stage name and create your social media handles
Before you can become a skit maker and make money in Nigeria, you have to pick a stage name (pseudonym) for yourself. You will be known by this name throughout your comedy career, so it’s important that you pick a name that has the following features.
A name that:
- You love
- Is easy to remember
- Is easy to spell and pronounce
- Won’t sound like an insult to some of your audience
- Your fans can relate. For example, Nepa Boys, Kalistus, Akpan and Oduma, Broda Shaggi, Tooma, Mr Macaroni, Brain Jotter, Mark Angel, etc
3. Acquire some film equipment
Before you can be a successful skit maker and comedian in Nigeria, you have to invest in your shooting, filming, and editing equipment.
Since you’re probably starting small, you won’t have to drain your wallet by using the top equipment available in the Nigerian market.
Anything that can perform a little bit over average should be considered. You’re not yet popular, so you have all the privacy and time to yourself.
Even if an activity of 1 hour takes 4 hours, you won’t feel uncomfortable, as you have all the time to spare anyway. It’s not like you have an interview to attend or a show to perform at (as if that moment).
Here are the basic things you should need to start with.
- Camera equipment
- Lighting equipment
- Microphones
- Laptop
- Gimbal
Since you’re starting small:
- Some expensive android and iPhone devices can shoot at High Definition (HD), so you can use that in place of a camera equipment
- While lighting equipment will make things better, not all scenes require them. If you can’t afford one, you can shoot all your skits outdoors in the daytime
- If you can’t afford a microphone, you can use a phone that has noise cancellation as one of its features. You can later edit the sound effects on your laptop
4. Start shooting your comedy skits and upload them
Now you’re progressing on your journey to become a skit maker and make money in Nigeria. Once you know how to act, pick a stage name and get the required equipment. Make your first comedy skits and upload them everywhere you can.
This includes Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat, etc.
5. Grow your career as a skit maker in Nigeria
To do this, you need to be consistent while also working together with popular figures in the entertainment industry.
You can produce 2 or 3 comedy skits in a week and post them on strategic days, like Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
You should also alternate with days like Fridays and Sundays and see which works best and drives the most engagement.
Another thing you should not joke about is collaborations. Partnering and featuring top skit makers in your industry will give your comedy career a boost. You should also work with some Nollywood actors, as they will attract the attention you need.
6. Monetize your comedy skits
Become a skit maker and make money on social media
You can get paid in dollars by uploading your comedy videos on some social media platforms. Popular examples are Facebook and YouTube.
Your videos will have an in-stream image or video ads which will enable you to make money depending on the action performed by each viewer. You will earn a part of the ad’s revenue.
Become a skit maker and make money with sponsored content
You can also make money by posting paid content for brands and small businesses. Some will want to create brand awareness while some will want extra sales. They’ll come to you, but you can also approach them.
You can make huge money from this if you know how to bargain well. You can get about ₦250,000 on each sponsored content or more, depending on the degree of your popularity and follower base.
Become a skit maker and make money as a brand ambassador
After being popular for some time, you will start getting deals from both local and foreign brands. You can be a brand ambassador for many businesses and companies.
You can get contracts worth millions every month, but that will depend on how many followers you have, how much engagement, your popularity and how well you can bargain. The size of the brand or business is also a factor to consider.
Conclusion
The entertainment industry is very lucrative in Nigeria. But at the same time, it is one of the most competitive. We now have many comedians and skit makers, which will make it harder to become popular (than it was 5 years ago).
Every skit maker is now on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, and Snapchat, and mention it all. This means people may not really engage with your skits if they’re not funny or relatable.
Practice how to act, pick a stage name, get some filming equipment, post your first videos and don’t forget to be consistent. Many Nigerian skit makers have built wealth solely from comedy videos, and you too can. See you at the top.
