why i don’t hang out with my colleagues

• Popular Stand Up Comedian, KOFFI

Koffi Idowu Nuel is one of Naija’s most gifted comedians. He has proven over the years that he is not a flash in the pan but a brand that has come to stay. And despite the ups and downs within the showbiz sector, Koffi has sent a clear message to everyone that he has what it takes to be one of the very best entertainers in the industry. Without a doubt, we are talking about a hugely talented personality who has been able to create a unique niche for himself. He is multi talented. Koffi is a musician, an actor, comedian, movie producer, director, the whole gamut, Koffi has his hands in all of them. And in every single one of these areas, Koffi has excelled brilliantly. He is a man who has a clear idea of what he has set out to accomplish and how to go about achieving them. Those who know Koffi very closely will tell you he is a man not given to frivolities, this is why you will seldom see him go on social media to draw unnecessary attention to himself. Instead, he focuses strictly on his craft and his family. For Koffi, everything has to be about the family, otherwise, it is not worth his time.

A couple of weeks ago, City People Senior Editor, WALE LAWAL (08037209290) caught up with Koffi and got him to share with us a bit about his private life. Here are excerpts

Beyond the stage, who is the Koffi that your legion of fans don’t know much about?

Koffi Idowu Nuel, who is a graduate of chemistry from UNILAG is a Nigerian father, precisely from Ibeju Lekki in Lagos State, while his mother is from Togoland, hence the name Koffi. I speak the Togolese language which is Ewe (Evwe). My romance with comedy started from UNILAG when I joined the university theater 15, where I was introduced to acting. I set out as a stage actor from there, I took a dive into comedy and later music, and the rest, like they say I history.

What do you think sets you apart from other comedians?

I am not the loud-mouth type, talking too much. I am a comedian whom fans know, respect and salute for the way and manner I have be conducting myself. I adopted that style and maintained it after watching most of the top comedians have devalued themselves for the love of loud mouth and talking too much for the fun of it. It can be counter productive for a comedian. I still remembered vividly some years ago when a colleague really got himself into serious trouble for making a joke that rubbished the military authorities then. He was manhandled by the soldiers, perhaps to teach others a lesson. So, for me, its all about conducting myself properly and improving my craft as a comedian and entertainer. I am always seeking ways too improve myself. Even as an events anchor or master of ceremony, I am always researching and seeking ways to improve in that department. Nobody knows it all.

A lot of the new generation of comedians are not quite as original as you guys, you have been able to stand out owing to your originality,….

In fact, that influx sort of derailed our progress in the comedy space. A lot of those people who came on came in too early because they were not prepared for the sudden acceptance they got. You know, somebody has this very one fantastic material, then the crowd mentality starts to raise the person, when the needed maybe three years to source plenty materials and be strong enough, but because of one good material, they start hyping the person and the person thinks he has arrived, only for them to get to the platform where they are supposed to perform, they only have one material and they can’t sustain the tempo so they now have to poach other people’s material. And my trying to correct that in the industry got me blacklisted for a while. But for people like me, I am a trained thespian. So, I’m a stage actor, I trained as an actor. So, that training helps me to know that to keep your audience asking for more, you have to be original, you have to be spontaneous in your delivery.

You seem to be quiet about your modest achievements, its like you personally shield your progress from the public, why is that?

Why won’t I? I do not believe in making noise about one’s achievements. There are lots of things I have been able to accomplish that I don’t make noise about. I am not a social media person like that. As we speak, I have shot 32 movies, I have released 32 music albums, published two books, and I did all of these without taking a loan from anybody or from the bank. I don’t think there are entertainers in Nigeria who can beat their chest and say what I just said. Bring out any entertainer in Nigeria that can proudly say they have 32 albums, 32 movies, without taking a loan, there’s nobody in Nigeria. But I don’t brag about these things. Why I don’t brag is that these are things that make me feel fulfilled in my own space. I wake up everyday and do those things with joy, that’s what keeps me going. I don’t need to come out to compete and prove to you that the movie is better than another person’s own for you to see me, no, I’m just enjoying myself. So, if it is only one person that comes to me and says, mehn, I watched your movie, I love it, I am fulfilled. I have made money, I have made impact. All this competition, trying to prove that you’re better than the other person, I’m not in that space. I don’t care about comparisons, positions, who is better, no, no, or who is funnier, no, not for me. Service to your client is most important. And then, self fulfilment. You pay your rents, you pick your bills, you help people around you, you eat well, you sleep well. I sleep very well, baba, as in I sleep very well. When they say I am looking young, that is one of the reasons.

How about your relationship with your colleagues, what is it like?

Its very cordial, very okay. I have colleagues in the industry that we are quite close and I have several other that we are no more than professional colleagues. The thing is that I am way too busy to keep too many friends. I am always indoors, working on scripts, doing my research, trying too improve my craft. There is really no time to be jumping from one night club to another. This is why you will hardly find me hanging out with my colleagues in the industry. I am too preoccupied with a lot of things. I need time to think. I need space to myself to be at my creative best. If I m busy jumping all over he place with friends and colleagues, how will I improve my craft?