Comedian and actor, Stanley B. Nilius, popularly known as Gospel Alhaji, has risen to fame based on his vibrant jokes delivered with a strong Hausa accent. The Taraba–born entertainer and compeer, takes time to explain to Art and Ideas where his inspiration comes from and how he has found fame and fulfillment in comedy.
Where did you get the name Gospel Alhaji from?
The name came because I portray northern Nigeria in my comedy, especially in the accent. There was a time I did an act in a church and after the performance the pastor said from today, you are known as Gospel Alhaji because before then, I was using Regiment Soldier because I have a military background. He now said from today I must bare Gospel Alhaji because people from the South haven’t seen anyone from the north doing my kind of act who is a Christian.
So are you a Hausa man?
Well, they call us Hausa, according to Nigerians but I am from a tribe called Jenjo from Lau Local Government in Taraba State.
So this accent that you deliver with perfection, did you have to train yourself on it?
Yes. I used to watch the news a lot. There was a reporter with the NTA, Hamisu Rogo, at the time. He inspired me a lot. We have lots of senators and members of the House of Reps who are doing this accent a lot and they inspired me to be who I am because I am from Taraba where we speak Hausa as a lingua franca before English. I watched a lot of movies that had to do with this accent and I love it because it is part of us.
So what kind of success have you had since you commercialized your brand?
The success I have had is being on a national platform that some of my colleagues who have been in this profession for 10 years haven’t been on. I have been there due to my own creativity and my own kind of acts in the industry. Everyone has a way of doing things. Some go the Warri side and I specialize in the northern parts. And I have been invited often to bring that northern flavor.
When did you come to Abuja and why?
My uncle invited me to come to Abuja to shoot a TV series and after I finished, I wanted to leave, but he said no, I had to stay because there was something else. After the second production, I got connected to other comedians. And when I came as a media man, I covered lots of events in Abuja, including the beauty shows and saw what the people were doing. So I decided to stay back and showcase my own talent.
So apart from being a comedian you are also into broadcast?
I am an actor, a camera man and director of productions. I have featured in a movie with Justice Esiri. We shot the movie with him in 2010 before he died. It was called ‘Twin Swords’. I have featured in other movies and TV series as well, like ‘Mutum Da Muhalinsa’ and ‘Binta’s Tears’.
So what kind of reactions have you had since you started?
People have been welcoming me. But back in my state, because it was the same accent, they didn’t value me as much I am being appreciated elsewhere. In Abuja, the reaction has been massive. And I have a skit on YouTube that has gone viral with thousands of views and has been shared by celebrities.
So what inspires the kind of jokes you make?
What inspires me is that northern Nigeria, we are all comedians. Yes, right from our parents all the way down. Everything about the Hausa man is comedy because we can see how Alhajis are always funny because of their behaviour. You could meet someone who is not very well educated and you will be amazed by how he organizes his affairs. We are all comedians in the north. That is what inspires me and people love the entertainment from the north. Because we have the challenges of insecurity that is why the entertainment has shifted to Lagos but we are still coming up and we will take back our place by the Grace of God.
