ART AND NATION-BUILDING IN ALIBABA'S COMEDY

Abstract

This research examines the role of Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome (Ali Baba) in the professionalization of Nigerian stand-up comedy and its evolution into a medium for socio-political engagement. Since the early 1990s, Ali baba has transformed comedy from a low-status craft into a multibillion-naira industry that serves as a tool for national economic development and youth empowerment. Utilizing a qualitative research design involving ethnographic case studies and in-depth interviews, the study investigates how Ali Baba achieves "socio-aesthetic harmony"—the marriage of artistic beauty with functional social commentary. Here, the content, techniques, and context of Alibaba's works are examined. By breaking the fourth wall and employing techniques like spontaneity and improvisation, he fosters a dialogic environment that integrates the audience into the performance. This interaction facilitates functional laughter, where humor is not merely shallow amusement but carries pedagogical and moral values. Ultimately, the research concludes that Ali Baba’s artistry has elevated stand-up comedy into a communal and therapeutic art form that reflects and influences the Nigerian socio-political landscape.