Communiqué 45: Why Nigerian skit creators are flocking to YouTube

Comedy content creators like Layi Wasabi are betting on YouTube’s monetization ecosystem and experimenting with longer video formats.

1. Reintroduction

On October 24, Layi Wasabi, a popular Nigerian skitmaker, posted his first video on YouTube. This, in many ways, was a departure from the style and format that the creator had become known for. His videos hardly ever lasted beyond 3 minutes. But this time around, he was pushing boundaries to create a series of short films over 7 minutes long.

The video series features his popular character, The Law, a bumbling lawyer who often finds himself in outrageous situations. But Wasabi’s switch to YouTube isn’t just about trying out new material; it’s a move to a platform that several creators believe offers greater monetization potential, creative freedom, and stability.

Layi Wasabi, whose real name is Isaac Olayiwola, got his start posting skits on Instagram while studying Law at Bowen University in Southwest Nigeria. In 2021, a skit he made about blocking his mom on WhatsApp went viral, bringing him into the limelight. Building on this initial success, he created characters like The Law, Officer Robert, and Mr. Richard, whose comical misadventures and exaggerated personas repeatedly captured audiences. His popularity surged, leading to industry recognition with awards at the Trend Up Creator Awards—one of Nigeria’s first influencer award shows— in 2023 and the African Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA)—the continent’s top movie industry award show—in 2024.

Wasabi’s move to YouTube aligns with a broader trend of Nigerian creators who got their initial breaks on short-form video platforms like Instagram and TikTok now gravitating toward YouTube. Fellow Nigerian creators like Shank Comics, Gilmore, Broda Shaggi, and Justin Ug have also started making YouTube-native content, taking advantage of the platform to reach more global audiences. YouTube also comes with promises of a different kind of revenue stream.