Why I’m passionate about discovering new talents — Ekene Smith

A budding comedian, Ekene Smith, has said that he is driven by the passion to discover and nurture up-and-coming talents by providing them with a platform to shine.

Ekene— whose elder brother, Emeka Smith, is also a comedian— told Saturday Beats that his quarterly comedy competition tagged, ‘Positive Youth Talent Discovery’, is an initiative to entertain comedy lovers and discover new talents.

He said, “The show is organised by my foundation— Ekene Smith Adigwu Youth Foundation— and its aim is to reach out to raw and up-and-coming talents in the industry, who would then compete against one another while offering entertainment to a mature and friendly audience. Every edition rewards the best comedian and other contestants with cash prizes.

“The initiative has also not only focused on giving exposure and a platform to talented comedians but also introduced an online monthly mentorship platform for training talent managers, professionals and established comedians. It has also helped in creating awareness for youths to channel their energy and passion into discovering their talents and doing something productive with them.”

Ekene also noted that his elder brother, Emeka, actually made him love comedy. He added, “I worked as his personal assistant after I completed my secondary education. I learnt the craft and through him, I had the opportunity to mingle with lots of comedians. I chose to be a comedian because it gives me the opportunity to engage people with beautiful jokes and other contents.”

The comedian also stated that his foundation planned to host an event in 2025 tagged, ‘Laff Supper with Ekene Smith’.

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