Nite of a thousand laughs: Opa Williams steps aside for Mallam Yankee

20 years after he made debut with what is today regarded as the longest running stand-up comedy brand, Nite of a Thousand Laughs, notable showbiz entrepreneur, Opa Williams, is stepping aside as producer of the show.

Williams, who has delved fully into film production, the latest being the much-publicised The Three Wise Men, starring Richard Mofe-Damijo, Zack Orji and Victor Olaotan, has disclosed that he is releasing Nite of a Thousand Laughs franchise to Kehinde Adegbite of Yankee Entertainment.

The new producer is expected to run the show for an initial 24 months

Opa, as he is fondly called, while speaking during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Adegbite in Lagos, expressed optimism that the latter would carry on the legacy of the show with the requisite passion.

He noted that Adegbite, despite having hosted and managed other successful entertainment events across the country, had through his Yankee Entertainment, produced Nite of a Thousand Laughs in the last five years in Abuja, Benin City and Owerri.

Opa, who recently bagged a doctorate degree from the Walden Methodist University, Tennessee, United States, said he is quite enamored of the brand that brought him so much fame, but had to hand over its management and production to a trusted ally so as to have enough time for movies and other audio content productions.

He disclosed that part of the agreement was for Adegbite to expand the scope of Nite of a Thousand Laughs by hosting the show in more Nigerian cities.

A showbiz aficionado, Kehinde Adegbite, popularly known as Mallam Yankee, is the chairman, The Bank Club Abuja, Illusion Owerri and Yankee Entertainment. Apart from promoting and staging live shows, he is noted for successful launch of music albums of artistes like 2 Baba and Iyanya as well as Charly Boy’s show.

Describing him as the Jagaban of Entertainment in Nigeria, Opa said Adegbite’s entry into the world of showbiz began about two decades ago as Student Union Government (SUG) Director of Socials at the Yaba College of Technology (Yabatach), Lagos.

On the task ahead of him, Adegbite said he has the utmost task of not only sustaining the epic brand,  but also taking it to a higher level.

He described Opa as his mentor, saying: “Among millions of people, he was one of the few that believed in me. and he made me what I am today in the entertainment industry.”