The maiden edition of the anticipated Nigeria Comedy Awards eventually took place on Sunday, September 24, 2023, at the Eko Convention Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, and it was indeed an event that will linger in the minds of attendees for a long time.
The glamorous event recognised the outstanding contributions of certain individuals and organisations in the country’s comedy industry, including Layi Wasabi (Revelation of the Year), Sam Loco-Efe (Posthumous Award), Gbenga Adeboye (Posthumous Award), Kiriku (Best Comedy Kid) and Dada Adekola of Vanguard Newspaper (Best Comedy Cartoonist); with all five awardees going home with N1m each, in addition to their plaques. The award for Adeboye was picked up by his daughter, while that of Loco-Efe was received by a representative of his family.
The event, which was hosted by a popular content creator, Kiekie, was spiced with musical performances by top artistes such as 2Baba, 9ice; and an electrifying dance drama by Segun Adefila’s Crown Troupe of Africa. Comedian, Akpororo, was also on hand to provide comic relief.
The event also witnessed the launch of veteran cartoonist and the Chairman of WapTV, Wale Adenuga’s biography titled, ‘The Unusual Biography of Wale Adenuga MFR: A Pencil in the Hand of the Creator’, as well as his 75th birthday.
Speaking at the event, the co-executive producer of the awards ceremony, Wole Adenuga, said, “We appreciate the immense support from the Lagos State Government, and organisations, such as Indomie Noodles, Airtel, Malta Guinness, Peak Milk, and Fanta who partnered with us to ensure that the event surpassed even our highest expectations.”
