Ali baba, Basketmouth, Kenny Blaq set to perform at comedy show in Abeokuta

Olamilekan Abegunde, a.k.a. Dr. Smile, a well-known stand-up comedian and master of ceremonies, revealed the show at a press briefing in Abeokuta.

The comedian is back with a new comedy show after more than a year of suspending his previous show, “Dr. Smile Unusual,” which had its seventh edition in 2022.

He said he still has some unfinished business with Ogun State, and he wants to create a platform for the emerging comedians in the state.

The show will take place on November 12.

He explained, “I never left Abeokuta. I only said I was done with shows in Abeokuta because they were not profitable. But I returned to Abeokuta because I saw that the guys I left behind were not doing the job properly.

“Also, they don’t have a platform to showcase their talents. They don’t have a place to rehearse, like in Lagos, where Lagbaja had the motherland. The motherland was a place where comedians could practice their skills monthly.

“So, I decided to create a platform for them to grow. I was able to grow because some people gave me a platform. But these young ones don’t have the platforms that I had when I was starting out. I said, Let me just help them out.

“So, I am coming back to Abeokuta just to support the upcoming ones. I have watched them perform, and I was not impressed. No disrespect to all the young comedians in Abeokuta, but they need to improve their stage performances. So, I thought, ‘Maybe I have failed in that aspect, that I have not provided a place for them to rehearse. They just go from home to the big stage; that’s why I started the ‘why not smile’ show,” Dr. Smile said.

Dr. Smile lamented that the government has not been supportive of the entertainment industry, saying that this has made many entertainers leave Ogun for other states to host their shows and events.

He mentioned the African Drums Festival, which was initiated by the previous administration but not continued by the Abiodun-led administration, as an example.

He said that the entertainment industry has the potential to generate income and boost the economy of the state.

He said, “Our government, especially the Ogun State government, needs to do more to develop the entertainment industry.

“It is sad that the current administration in the state has destroyed the entertainment industry. Ogun State used to be a hotspot for entertainment events in the South West, apart from Lagos State, but what we have seen lately is that this government has not been encouraging entertainers to host events, and this has hindered the growth of the industry.”