Popular comedian and filmmaker Ayo Makun, better known as AY, has revealed just how expensive it has become to secure Nigerian music artistes for major entertainment shows, claiming that some established stars now demand as much as ₦200 million for an appearance.
The comedian made the revelation while discussing the changing cost of booking artistes for his popular AY Live comedy show.
According to AY, the days when top Nigerian musicians could easily make appearances through friendships and personal relationships have changed dramatically. He recalled that several of Nigeria’s biggest music stars, including Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage and Olamide, have performed at AY Live over the years.
He explained that in the early years of the show, artistes were sometimes willing to appear for reasonable payments largely to cover logistics.
“In those days, many appearances were made possible through friendship. An artiste would accept any reasonable amount to cover their logistics, but today, the Nigerian musicians charge N200 million, N120 million, N80 million to appear on my show.”
‘The industry has changed’
AY attributed the dramatic increase in appearance fees to the transformation of Nigeria’s music industry and the international growth of Afrobeats.
He pointed out that Nigerian musicians now have multiple sources of income, including music streaming, international endorsements and other opportunities that generate earnings in foreign currencies.
According to the comedian, the global status of Nigerian artistes means they are no longer dependent on comedy shows and similar local entertainment platforms for visibility.
“Today, the Nigerian musicians are global stars. They earn from streaming, international endorsements, several other opportunities that come in foreign currencies. So they no longer depend on comedy shows for visibility,” he said.
Even upcoming artistes are demanding millions
Perhaps the most surprising part of AY’s revelation was his claim that the high fees are not limited to established superstars.
The comedian said some emerging artistes who have yet to achieve major stardom are also asking for fees running into tens of millions of naira.
“Even the upcoming artists wey never blow dey ask for N80 million,” AY said.
AY further explained that having a personal relationship with an artiste can sometimes make it easier for event organisers to secure their appearance, particularly at a time when performance fees have become increasingly expensive.
“The reality is that if you don’t have a strong personal relationship with any of these artists, bringing them to a comedy show can really be expensive,” he said.
A changing entertainment business
AY’s comments offer a glimpse into the changing economics of Nigeria’s entertainment industry. As Nigerian music continues to gain international recognition, successful artistes have increasingly expanded their revenue streams beyond local shows to include global performances, streaming, endorsements and other commercial opportunities.
For event organisers, this growth can also mean significantly higher production budgets when popular music stars are included on a line-up.
While AY’s figures reflect his experience booking artistes for AY Live and should not be interpreted as standard rates for every Nigerian musician, his comments underline how significantly the economics of securing major music acts have changed.
From friendship-based appearances in the early days of AY Live to multimillion-naira performance negotiations today, AY’s revelation shows just how much the business side of Nigerian entertainment has evolved.
