How my wife thought the worst when I made my first N1m – Ali Baba

Veteran Nigerian comedian, Atunyota Akpobome professionally known as Ali Baba has said that his wife thought the worst of him when he received his first N1m ever.

During an Instagram live session with TV personality Morayo Afolabi-Brown, the comedian act revealed that a major company paid him N1.6 million for an engagement in 1996.

He claimed that when the large sum of money, his first million, arrived in his account, his wife assumed he had begun engaged in fraudulent operations.

Ali Baba also recounted that when he initially went to Lagos and began performing stand-up comedy, he earned between N500 and N1000, but over time, value was placed on the service he provided.

He also talked about Lagos and how the growth of the commercial city would impact the earning power of residents of the state.

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He said: “The first thing you must know is that Lagos is a centre for excellence. And, if you are not bringing that to the table, just stay where you are. It means that when you are coming to Lagos, people want the ‘A’ game in your performance.

The reason people call us (comedians) to feature in their events is because of the service we provide. If the service is not well provided, there are people who will fault us.”

He added: “If Lagos continues to grow, our earning power will also grow. I remember coming to Lagos and earning between N500 and N1000. But, the value that was placed on the service I offered increased.

In 1996, I was paid N1.6m by Guinness to promote one of their brands—Satzenbrau. We practically toured everywhere in the country. When the money came (into my account), my wife thought I had got involved in advance fee fraud.”