Consistence and Resilience: Testaments of Austine Dominic’s success story

August 1, 2001, Austine Dominic Izuogu was born in Aba, Abia State, in the eastern part of Nigeria. For his primary and secondary education, he attended Ijeoma International School and Prize Mate Model Academy, respectively, in Aba, Abia State. Austin later relocated to Owerri, where he earned his university degree in Computer Science at the prestigious Imo State University (IMSU).

The comedian, popularly known as Austinecruise, started his career by discovering his potential in the entertainment industry, as he was known to be one of the clowns in his class. Since then, Austine Dominic has honed his comical skills and gained a massive following. When asked about his future goals, he noted that he aspires to be one of the biggest actors and comedians in Nigeria.

Art has been born out of many reasons, either elatedness or sadness. These emotions often lead artists to find solace in their craft. For Austine Dominic, who grew up in a part of the East where business is prioritized over comical displays, he struggled with negative criticism and comments. Despite facing numerous challenges, he channeled them into his artistry.

Austine Dominic’s top five comedians are AY, Basketmouth, Sydney Talker, Shank Comics, and Xploit Comedy. It is believed that he aspires to perform on the stages they have graced. Like many other Nigerians, he has been watching ace comedians such as AY Makun and Basketmouth and their significant achievements.

On November 13, 2021, Austine Dominic released his first video on TikTok. It was a “Choice challenge” or split-screen video where one has to choose between two presented options. In the entertainment industry, a platform is essential, and Austine Dominic’s platform is TikTok. He used this social site to showcase his comical skills to the world. Notably, Austin received his first YouTube Silver Play Button Award in 2021, demonstrating his progress.

Austine Dominic is best known for his reaction videos in comic skits. He has created numerous videos reacting to various content, including bread and onion attached nails, Angele Nwosu’s unusual noodles cooking video, Côte d’Ivoire snail soup, and Senegalese jollof rice made with okra, among others.

Austine Dominic’s second video on TikTok featured an Igbo song. He wore an Isi agu while highlighting the eastern states with the wealthiest men. Although this video was posted for fun, it shows Austin’s cultural consciousness and ethnic pride. Since 2021, Austin has infused the Igbo language and Pidgin English into his jokes. One of the pinned videos on his TikTok account, which showcases how the Western world portrays Africa, garnered over one million likes and nine million views—the highest on his account.

Apart from Austine Dominic’s cultural consciousness and patriotism, viewers can learn from his philosophical ideology of minimalism. His funny reaction videos satirize excessive and incoherent actions by people, which he believes should be cautioned. As the phrase “Wetin go con do my steeze” trends, Austin humorously tells people that he will continue to “price” goods in the market, reflecting his ideals.

Austinecruise has gone viral with skits like “Dey your dey,” “Something must kee a man,” his market vlog, and others. He won the TikTok Naija Comedy Festival in 2023, and his consistent and relatable videos earned him one million followers on TikTok, which he announced on June 5, 2024.