The annual comedy festival, ECOFEST, organised by ace comedian and compere, Tee A, is set to hold next month.
Themed: “The Future of Comedy”, this year’s edition is borne out of the desire by the organiser to fashion out ways through which stakeholders can sustain an industry that has made millions of Nigerians happy, whilst creating creative entrepreneurs such as comedians, skit makers, scriptwriters, event promoters and many others.
According to Tee A, ECOFEST will hold for two days and would feature panel discussions, workshops, analyses and spontaneous comedy routines via the open mic session.
The maiden edition of ECOFEST featured high-profile entertainers such as Teju Babyface, Bovi, Bisi Olatilo, Bunmi Davies, and Basorge, who headlined the conference when it berthed in May 2017. The second edition held in May 2018 also played host to major players within and outside the industry including Lepacious Bose, Omo Baba, Koffi, Basket Mouth as well as ANN presidential candidate, Fela Durotoye, who spoke on the topic, The Role of Comedy in Nation Building.
In attendance were also the Lagos State Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, who spoke on Comedy and Tourism Development; BHM Group CEO, Ayeni Adekunle, and Abisoye Fagade among others.
Reflecting on the growth path the comedy industry in Nigeria has followed in recent years, Tee A said: “How far we have come without government is still how far we can get. Let government do government work, but put in place a policy, that is a policy for the creative space.”
This year, ECOFEST will take place across two locations in Lagos. The activities scheduled for the 2-day event include Open Mic at Hard Rock Café, Victoria Island, Lagos on May 2 and conference/workshop at Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos on May 3.