Nigerian Social Media Comedian Chief Obi Signs $1M Deal

Popular Nigerian Instagram comedian Chief Obi has landed a $1 million deal following his endorsement as the first brand ambassador of Vomoz, a telecommunications company, last week.

The comedian, whose real name is Henry Obiefule, is popular for his comical videos on Instagram, where he presents himself as a stereotypical Nigerian dad:

On Facebook, Chief Obi celebrated his new position by writing, in part:

“My people, hard work, focus, and prayers always yield positive results! I can’t express how excited I am to have joined the @vomoz family! Today I have been endorsed as the first-ever Vomozflex Brand Ambassador!”

Success in Odd Places

Speaking to CNN after the big announcement, the comedian revealed how long his journey to success has been contributing to a number of social platforms.

His journey to stardom began in 2012, when he recorded his first comedy video on Keek, a free online social networking service that allows its users to upload video status updates that are commonly referred to as “keeks.”

“People liked it and demanded I did more, so I continued. From Keek we moved to Vine, from Vine to Instagram,” he said.

Chief Obi has featured a number of renowned Nigerian artists, including 2Face, Jidenna, and Olamide, in his videos.

Putting Africa on the Map

Flaunting his check of $1 million after signing the deal with Vomoz Monday, the young comedian said he has big things in store for his fans.

Referring to himself as the Jamie Foxx of African comedy, Chief Obi plans to put the African continent on the map with a new style of comedy.

“I can’t wait to start unleashing the things we have in store!” he wrote on Facebook.