Nigerian comedian, master of ceremonies and content creator Chimaraph has spoken out against the growing trend of prioritizing online impressions over real impact in the entertainment industry.
Appearing on the Conversations With Kenni podcast hosted by Kehinde Ajose, Chimaraph linked the problem to the wider Nigerian society’s excessive love for money.
“I think we have to first consider the kind of society we find ourselves in. The average Nigerian is a lover of money and doesn’t care about the cost,” he said.
He pointed to a popular prank content style where a man drops money near shops, picks it up and asks who owns it. According to him, the creator has never found a Nigerian who denied ownership, with some even turning aggressive.
“There’s a guy playing pranks where he’d drop money on the floor near shops and he’d pick it back up and ask the person, ‘oh, I saw this money, who owns it?’ He has been doing that content for so long and he still hasn’t been able to find a Nigerian who denied being the owner. Some even try to beat him up.”
He described how the society drives people to prioritize impressions over real impact.
“We live in a society where our love for money is excessive and you need impressions to pull investors and gigs so people aren’t really concerned about impact anymore. Brands don’t really care about the creator’s impact, they just care about the numbers. That’s the kind of society we find ourselves in.”
Despite the pressure to go viral, Chimaraph insisted he maintains personal boundaries.
“You won’t find me being vulgar. I was trained like that. There are things I cannot say. Even at the expense of making money or going viral, it’s one of those things I just can’t do.”
He revealed that he and his skit partner Mayor Sam have deliberately shelved some highly funny ideas because they clashed with their values.
“Mayor Sam, my skit partner, and I have some stories that we never shot because they didn’t align with our values and these are very funny content that would go viral. There’s one about giving in church and you know how religion is a hot topic. It was going to support people that weren’t giving, but we didn’t do it.”
On the rising wave of criticism against churches, particularly as regards tithing and offering, Chimaraph offered a firm view.
“I’ll always say that nobody is forced to give in church. It is free will, but going about tell people not to give is like turning yourself into a demon. Nobody forced anyone to give in church.”
His comments highlight the tension many creators face between staying true to their principles and chasing the numbers that attract brands and opportunities in today’s digital space. Chimaraph’s stance adds to ongoing conversations about values, content creation and the role of money in Nigeria’s entertainment industry.