Nigeria: I won’t go into music – I Go Dye

Celebrated comedian speaks with JAYNE AUGOYE on what he does outside comedy

Among some Nigerian comedians with controversial stage names, Francis Agoda’s case is about the most curious. While some would bear Omo Baba and Funny Bone, his is I Go Dye, a term that sounds as if someone is craving for suicide
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But the comedian who says he discovered his talent at an early age interprets this differently. In an interview with our correspondent, although he chooses his answers perhaps too carefully than a journalist would like, he indicates that he is in control of almost every step he takes as a joke merchant.

His words, “My stage name is just an acronym that expresses my motivational background to inspire my generation. Some will mistake the pronunciation and attribute another meaning to it. But it actually means, ‘Initiative, Guide on Developing Youth’s Endowment (I Go Dye).”

Although the beginning was so rough for him that he was once evicted by his landlord and had to borrow a jacket to wear to his first show, things have changed dramatically for him. He is said to be building a luxury home in Benin, Edo State, at a height inspired by French Luxurious Castle – Chateaux de Reeves, for instance. But he would not tell you how much this has cost him.

He only says, “Well, a home is a home, just a place where one can get a little comfort. I don’t want to give a contrary estimate, but it has been so demanding. I believe, we all live in a civilised society today, and not much sentimental attachment should be accorded to even cars. It is not the value of a car that brings the true regards upon the individual. It is personal integrity and selfless attributes that inspire other people that actually bring fulfilment.

“Everything in life is all by God’s grace. Who is a man, in all seriousness? Nothing! It takes God’s favour to stay alive, let alone waking up to see the rising sun. Besides, no matter what any one assumes that he possesses, there is nothing new under the sun. So, why should anyone find it hard to accept that we are so ordinary in all standards? It is natural to keep that simple profile,” he explains.

Beyond comedy, Agoda says he is involved in civil engineering, noting that he runs Revamp Construction Company. Although he does not give details about this, he, however, rules out a trade that many of his colleagues are dabbling into – music. He responds with an emphatic ‘no’ to the question whether or not he wants to sing and probably produce albums like Gordon or Koffi.

On what makes a good comedian, he says, “It takes commitment and genuine interest in the profession to reach the zenith of it. Creativity and the ability to acquire experience in everything happening in your environment are crucial. Above all, natural talent is what actually makes it easy to achieve that desired attainment. But God has the final approval to anyone success.”