Moses Olaiya Adejumo, known as Baba Sala, is recognised as the pioneer of modern Nigerian comedy.

Born on May 18, 1936, in Ilesha, Osun State, Nigeria, he began his career as a highlife musician before transitioning to comedy.

His work in theatre, film, and television helped shape the Nigerian entertainment landscape, making comedy a central genre.

Baba Sala’s unique style, characterised by exaggerated costumes, witty dialogue, and slapstick, resonated with audiences and influenced future generations of comedians.

Baba Sala was a comedic genius and a world-class entertainer widely regarded as the father of modern Nigerian comedy.

The moment he stepped onto the stage, even before uttering a single word, the audience would burst into laughter.

Once he began his routine, people would be rolling on the floor, tears streaming down their faces.

Such was the extraordinary effect he had on his viewers.

​Born Moses Olaiya Adejumo was the second of six children.

He completed his elementary education in Jos, where his father worked as an accounting clerk.

He later returned to Ilesha to attend Obokun Boys High School.

However, he left school in 1959 after dropping out in Class 4.

His departure was not due to financial constraints, but rather the influence of friends who shared a passion for music.

Leaving school was easy for him at the time; his mother had passed away in 1954, and his father was stationed far away in Maiduguri.

​In 1959, he relocated to Lagos to join the Empire Hotel Orchestra, where he learned to play several musical instruments, a decision his father, who passed away in 1968, fought against to no avail.

Because the band’s pay was meagre, he took a job as a sanitary inspector with the Lagos City Council while continuing to play music part-time with various groups at night.

​Inspired by the legendary Hubert Ogunde, he felt a strong calling to start his own theatre group while working as a sanitary inspector.

In 1963, he founded his theatre troupe as well as the Federal Rhythm Dandies Orchestra.

Notably, King Sunny Adé (KSA) began his artistic career with this group as both an actor and musician.

As the theatre group gained traction, the music band received less of his attention.

He eventually handed control of the band to a trusted founding member, Alfred Akeredolu, while retaining ownership.

Most of the theatre group’s actors were drawn from the band.

When the musical group eventually disbanded, members without acting ambitions, including Sunny Adé, left to form his own band.

​In those early days, Baba Sala and his troupe faced virtually no competition in Nigeria; whatever they produced was warmly embraced by fans.

Following in the footsteps of pioneers like Ogunde, Ogungbe, and Duro Ladipo, the group would embark on gruelling nationwide tours and even travel to neighbouring countries to perform.​

Offstage, Baba Sala had multiple wives and many children.

Most of the female members in his troupe were his wives, with the notable exception of his primary stage wife, Iya Sala.

​On stage, he famously portrayed a poor, lazy, and undisciplined old man.

In contrast to his character, his stage wife, Iya Sala, was portrayed as illiterate yet exceptionally sharp-witted.

She was the boss in the relationship, forcing him to do menial household chores and occasionally beating him if he disobeyed.

He was also frequently at the mercy of Adisa, a top company executive who regularly came to his rescue whenever he landed in trouble.​

Baba Sala later ventured into big-screen cinema.

His debut film, Orun Mooru, was a massive success, but the master tape was stolen and pirated, plunging him into devastating financial debt.

Although he went on to produce other classic films such as Mosebolatan and Aare Agbaye, his finances remained in the red, and he never fully recovered from the financial setback.

​He was a natural comedian whose humour spilt over into his everyday life.

On one occasion, while stuck in a heavy Lagos traffic jam, police officers stepped in to clear the gridlock.

When they reached Baba Sala’s vehicle, his car engine failed to start.

He calmly stepped out of the car, folded his bulky agbada into a makeshift head cushion, placed it on his head, and asked the police officers to help lift the car onto his head.

The entire crowd erupted into prolonged laughter the moment they realised who he was.

​In recognition of his immense contributions to Nigerian theatre and entertainment, the Federal Government honoured him with the national award of Member of the Order of the Niger (MON).

​My father was a massive fan of Baba Sala.

He bought all of his records and would laugh uncontrollably every time he listened to them.

​Baba Sala passed away from age-related illnesses on October 7, 2018, at the age of 82.

Since his passing, younger generations of comedians have struggled to fill the void left by him and his contemporaries.

His unique brand of classic comedy seems to have passed on with him.