Nigerian comedian, actor and filmmaker Bovi Ugboma has shared his thoughts on creativity and personal growth, explaining why he does not approach his work with the sole intention of making people happy.
The comedian spoke during an appearance on Beyond With Ezinne, a podcast hosted by former beauty queen and actress Ezinne Akudo.
Bovi encouraged creatives to concentrate more on producing quality and compelling work instead of constantly worrying about whether their audience would immediately approve of it.
According to the entertainer, a creator’s responsibility is to make something valuable and interesting enough to naturally attract an audience.
Bovi compared the process to sugar attracting ants, insisting that good work does not necessarily have to chase people before gaining attention.
He said: “When I am making stuff, I am not making it to say, ‘Will people like it?’ I am making it to say, ‘Let this creation be sweet and the ants will gather.’ Sugar doesn’t go in search of ants.”
Speaking further about the importance of storytelling, the comedian explained that the ability to hold people’s attention is an essential quality for a stand-up comedian.
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He continued: “If you are a good storyteller, you can be a good stand-up comedian because storytelling is about swaying people’s emotions from left to right, carrying them to a particular crescendo. That’s the truth.”
He added that humour is not the only thing that can keep an audience engaged.
However, according to Bovi, even when a comedian’s material is not particularly funny, it should at least be interesting enough to maintain people’s attention.
He said: “When what you are saying is not funny, make sure what you are saying is interesting. So you hold people’s attention.”
Bovi also opened up about the challenges he faces when experimenting with unfamiliar ideas.
The comedian admitted that trying something new for the first time can sometimes be difficult, describing it as part of his ongoing personal and creative development.
He concluded: “I struggle, especially when I am trying something new for the first time. It happens. I am growing to that stage where I think I am becoming invisible to myself. I am understanding life and understanding that it’s one life. It’s not a rehearsal. It’s the drama that’s on.”
Beyond his career, Bovi is also a family man. The comedian is married to Kris Asimonye Ugboma, and the couple have three children.
Over the years, he has successfully built a career that cuts across stand-up comedy, acting, filmmaking and entertainment.
