Analysing Humour, Satire, and Social Commentary in Nigerian Comic Literature: From Fela Anikulapo-Kuti to Contemporary Stand-Up Comedy

This study analyses the forms, functions, and literary significance of humour, satire, and social commentary across a continuum of Nigerian comic expression, tracing a genealogy from the musical satirical tradition of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti through Nigerian stand-up comedy to the emerging literary genre of Nigerian comic fiction. Comedy and satire are among the most significant but academically undervalued modes of Nigerian cultural expression, and their systematic literary critical analysis offers insights into how Nigerian cultural producers have consistently used laughter as a vehicle for political critique and social commentary across changing media contexts. The study applies theories of satire, incongruity theory of humour, and cultural criticism to a purposively selected corpus encompassing three Fela albums with prominent social commentary lyrics, three stand-up comedy specials by leading contemporary Nigerian comics, and three Nigerian works of comic fiction published between 2019 and 2023. Comparative analysis examines the shared targets of satirical attention across these three modes, including corrupt governance, religious hypocrisy, ethnic stereotyping, and class aspiration, and the distinct formal strategies each mode employs to achieve its critical effects while maintaining the protective cover of laughter. Findings reveal a continuous and adaptive satirical tradition that updates its targets and techniques across generations while maintaining a consistent orientation towards speaking truth to power through comic indirection. Keywords: satire, Nigerian humour, Fela Kuti, stand-up comedy, social commentary.