Odukoya Wasiu, well known by his stage name as BODA WASIU, is a skit comedian and a popular figure on social media with followers running into thousands.
In an interview held by FroshNaija Link up with Stars, he discusses his journey to stardom, challenges encountered among other issues.
How did you come about the name ‘Boda Wasiu’?
Everything began on tiktok.
The challenge I completed with another colleague like content creator, Bili went popular, and by 2022, a lot of celebrities had remade the video, which furthered the viral growth of the video and I made the decision to carry on till now.
Before you started doing internet comedies, what were you doing?
I was a musician but I had to confront comedy before I could continue. By then, I had put out roughly four songs, but I had no means or support to help me get the word out.
I had no choice but to try my hand at other things. Still, I plan to return to music in the near future.
So, life wasn’t that easy before?
Life was a living hell, of course, until now. It was certainly not simple.
As soon as I was accepted to the university, I began comedy. Thus, it was quite challenging to combine comedy and education. My parents were against me going into comedy. They wanted all of my attention to go into my schoolwork.
However, I have always had a strong sense of determination in all I do. I persisted in pushing through people’s criticism that I was wasting my time on comedies, and now look at me.
Before comedy, you mentioned how difficult life was. From your early years, have things been like that?
My parents divorced when I was three months old, so I grew up living with my grandmother.
My grandma was not wealthy; she sells clothing items at Bariga market. I’m not sure if I should state that I came from a poor family. She is a hustler and a strong lady. In her absence, I assisted her in running her store. It makes sense that I come from a low-income background.
Is it accurate to state that your financial situation drove you to pursue a career in social media influence?
Yes, an easy yes indeed! Comedy came to me because of poverty. I am interested in it in order to escape poverty.
These days, internet humor is popular. Do you not feel threatened by the abundance of comedians on the internet?
With any content creator, I have no issues. Oju orun t’eye fo lai f’ara kan‘ra won, as we Yoruba say, translates to “the sky is spacious enough for birds to fly without colliding.”
I fight against destitution. I have nobody to compete with. In addition, my comedic style is unique; no one else does humor quite like me. I am unique from everyone else.
Which obstacles do you encounter in your field of work?
The pressure of filming, editing, and uploading skits is one of the difficulties we have. At the end of the day, the post might not even get any interaction.
Finding a camera operator for my skits is another source of stress. Choosing an appropriate site that complements a specific theme is another.
Periodically, I have to go somewhere that will fit the message.
