Relationship coach and social commentator Solomon Buchi triggered online debate after calling out comedian Carter Efe, criticizing Nigerians’ tendency to turn serious national matters into jokes.
The critique followed First Lady Oluremi Tinubu’s recent call for citizens to embrace small-scale trades like akara, kuli-kuli and groundnuts.
In response, Carter Efe posted a comedy sketch inspired by her remarks, which Buchi described as making light of issues that deserve public concern.
Buchi was quoted saying, “Carter Efe is an established olodo. I don’t think Nigeria will change anytime soon because those who should mobilise youth to protest and hold leaders accountable are on Instagram creating comic skits from sad realities.”
He added that many young Nigerians now convert painful national issues into comedy rather than demanding accountability from leaders, noting that even tragic events quickly become fodder for content creators.
Buchi further questioned whether Nigerians have grown too accustomed to laughing through hardship instead of confronting it.
He remarked, “Maybe we laugh a lot because we are cowards. Maybe it’s our way of distracting ourselves from the elephant in the room. Whatever the government throws at us, we find something to laugh about. We need to do better.”
His comments sparked mixed reactions online; some supported his call for greater civic involvement, while others defended comedians, arguing that humour serves as a coping mechanism for many Nigerians facing economic hardship.
The discussion has revived debates on activism, leadership accountability and the influence of content creators on public discourse.
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