Nigerian comedian Ayo Makun, popularly known as AY, has lamented over the costs of booking Nigerian artistes for shows and events.
The comedian, while speaking on the topic, revealed that some artistes who are yet to become major stars now demand as much as N80 million for appearances.
AY also noted that in the past, artist appearances for events were made possible through friendships and relationships, noting that that however, did not stop the organiser from compensating them appropriately.
“For many years, since the beginning of AY Live, Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, Olamide have all performed at AY Live. In those days, many appearances were made possible through friendship. An artiste would accept any reasonable amount to cover their logistics, but today, the Nigerian musicians charge N200 million, N120 million, N80 million to appear on my show,” he added.
AY claimed that the price surge was as a result of the growth of the Nigerian music industry, stating that artistes now earn from streaming, international endorsements and other opportunities that pay in foreign currencies.
“The industry has changed that today the Nigerian musicians are global stars, they earn from streaming, international endorsements, several other opportunities that come in foreign currencies. So they no longer depend on comedy shows for visibility. Even the upcoming artists wey never blow dey ask for N80 million. The reality is that if you don’t have a strong personal relationship with any of these artists, bringing them to a comedy show can really be expensive,” he added.
