Local dialect skit maker foresees a bright future for satirical comedy in Akwa Ibom State

The Evangelist edition October 3, 2022
By Aniefiok UDONQUAK

The first skit maker using local dialect to create content in Akwa Ibom on topical issues, Godwin Edet, has foreseen a bright future for satirical comedy as he currently enjoying massive patronage and support from his fans.

Edet, popularly known as @FunnyGodwin Edet on social media, is a fast-rising content creator in Akwa Ibom State. He uses a unique characterization and is enjoying rave reviews and expanding his fan base rapidly with lots of viewers and followers on various social media platforms.

In an interview with reporters in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital, Edet, a graduate of Fine and Industrial Arts, the University of Uyo who is barely six months in satirical content creation, says he has been inspired by the growing urge to make people smile in a depressing environment.

A 2012 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) report predicts that some local dialects in Nigeria, including Ibibio, will go extinct in 2025; Edet is not giving up on using the dialect despite being limited by those who understand it. According to him, using the local dialect of Ibibio, which is widely spoken in Akwa Ibom state, he said would contribute to preserving the language and giving the speakers of the dialect their identity in the country with over 250 dialects.

“One of the reasons I went into content creation was because we are not many here in the southern region who are into content creation.

“I had options of using English, but I knew I had many people in the entertainment industry using their dialects to represent their communities. What stops me from using my dialect?

“I don’t think I am leaving the industry soon because I love comedy, and I enjoy it a lot, not only comedy, content creation, and skit making here in Akwa Ibom.

“I think it’s a bit challenging, but I am glad I am one of the people starting it in Akwa Ibom, so I don’t think I will leave anytime soon.

He said though there were challenges in the industry which he said included lack of equipment and him not having a studio, he said he would continue to make his mark in the industry, adding that given the popularity he has attained within a short time, he would continue to create satirical content to make people smile.

Edet, who expressed delight that he has almost become a celebrity overnight due to the number of followers, maintained that making people smile when many are going through different challenges has been his primary inspiration.

He said given the support he is currently enjoying, it would be long before making it big in the entertainment industry as it reacts to comedy skit-making.