‘You can blow and still be broke in Ghana’ — Comedian Warris

Ghanaian comedian, actor and content creator, Abdul Waris, popularly known as Comedian Warris, has bemoaned the lack of financial support for Ghanaian content creators, saying many of them go viral but still struggle to make a living.

Warris said unlike Nigeria where fans and brands quickly rally behind creators, Ghana's entertainment ecosystem offers little motivation or reward, even when the content trends worldwide.

“It's very hard comparing it to a country like Nigeria, because I've been to Nigeria and it has nothing to do with how big the market is. Rather, it has to do with how generous the people who have accepted you as an influencer or comedian or entertainer are,” he said.

According to him, in Nigeria, two viral videos can change a creator's life within months. “In a few months, three months, or one year, if you see them building, you see them buying cars, you see them celebrating. Before an influencer or a content creator would even die out of the system, he has his own house, his own cars. But in Ghana, you can blow and be broke,” Warris stated.

He lamented that in Ghana, viral videos often make “ministers and rich people” happy, yet the creators receive “not even a single motivation or comment or like.”

“Your videos will be making big people happy, and you will not even get three cedis, four cedis,” he added.

Comedian Warris acknowledged a handful of public figures who support upcoming talents, however, he stressed that such support is rare, leaving many talented Ghanaians depressed. “From January to August, the rain has actually done bad to a lot of creators and artists to the extent that they've not played any gig. Check up on them if you are their friends. Don't look at it like they are public figures, so they are okay.”

By Prince Fiifi Yorke