STAND-UP COMEDY AS IMPETUS FOR EVANGELISM IN NIGERIA: THE EXAMPLE OF ABOKI 4 CHRIST’S MEDICINAL LAUGHTER

Abstract

The paper focuses on the use of stand-up comedy as veritable tool for evangelism in Nigeria. Using Aboki 4 Christ‟s Medicinal Laughter as paradigm, the study examines the relevance of stand-up comedy to evangelism in Nigeria. The study adopts the qualitative approach and the literary methodology in the analysis of some selected jokes contained in the compact disc (CD) of Aboki 4 Christ‟s Medicinal Laughter. The major finding in the study is that most churches in Nigeria have become fertile grounds for the practice of the „Gospel Comedy‟ genre since it satisfies the recreation and entertainment enthusiasm of most Christians who, hitherto, consider secular entertainment as sin. The study also notes that the integration of stand-up comedy into mainstream church worship has expanded the empowerment scope of most Nigerian stand-up comics given the proliferation of churches in Nigeria. Among others, the paper canvasses the need for governmental efforts at encouraging the development of stand-up comedy in Nigeria in both theory and practice.