Ten Essential Nigerian Memes at the Moment

Coined by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in 1976, a meme is anything that is culturally imitated, virally copied, and consequently trendy. Voguey cultural bits such as catchphrases, hairstyles, car models, seasoning brands, ideologies, and even religious beliefs are all memes. Nowadays, the internet meme, coined in 1994 by American attorney Mike Godwin, has become a pronounced experience across social media. These are regarded, by professor Limor Shifman, in 2013, as a batch of web pieces conscious of each other and are virally spread via the internet. They exist as posts, hashtags, photos, image macros, GIFs, videos, etc.

Internet memes are consistently funny. But more than digital jokes, they are a significant part of a people's online reality and visual culture. Nigeria is no difference. A country that has been described as home to some of the happiest people on earth and one in which the internet is busy will have a vibrant meme culture. Here, then, are ten essential Nigerian memes (images and image macros) at the moment. These are a primer to the country's mimetic consciousness. They are a snapshot of, and a lowering into, its memescape. 

1. Aki and Pawpaw Memes

Chinedu Ikedieze and Osita Iheme are known as Aki and Pawpaw. The Nigerian comic duo played those characters in the 2002 film Aki Na Nwa, and the names stuck. They have since become many things: sought-after comedic actors, household names, cultural icons, national honourees. But just about two decades after the film, they have become something new: meme stars. Perhaps the most famous African meme characters, their meteoric rise could be first traced to Vine. When Vine closed up, both Ikedieze (Aki) and Iheme (Pawpaw), sometimes called African Meme Kings, resurfaced as memes on Twitter, becoming arguably African biggest memetic export. There is an online belief that there is always at least an Aki and Pawpaw meme for every reaction. That's the Aki and Pawpaw theory. 

2. Comrade Memes

These are a well known piece in Nigerian online and visual culture catalogue. Comrade memes are a Pepe the Frog spin off. A comrade meme has Pepe the Frog's head cropped out and plastered onto the head(s) of the main or all figures in an image. When captioned or watermarked, the word “comrade” is likely to be used. The image itself could be a photo, a drawing, a meme, a painting, a cover art, a film poster, etc. By late 2021 and early 2022, comrade memes went viral on Nigerian social media space, especially X, formerly Twitter, and WhatsApp. They are now frequently used X memes and WhatsApp stickers. Consequently, they become one of the country's most creatively localized mimetic borrowings.

3. Old Nollywood Memes

First called Nollywood by Norimitsu Onishi, the Nigerian film industry is usually classified into four periods: the colonial era, the golden era, the home video era, and the new Nigerian cinema era. The third refers to late 1980s/early 1990s to mid 2010s when films were made in cheap video formats. Since around late 2010s, the then home videos or video films have become a vast bulk of memes. Such films have churned out the earliest throwback Nollywood memes. Popular actresses and actors like Genevieve Nnaji, Ini Edo, Kanayo O. Kanayo, and  the comic duo of Chinedu Ikedieze and Osita Iheme (known as Aki and Pawpaw) become the regular faces of the memes.

4. Who Go Visit Me Bayi Memes

Some people become meme stars. Some meme stars become people. The latter is true for Femi. The internet first knew him as a meme boy before anything else. In 2021, his video clip trended on the internet. In it, a shirtless guy, now identified as Femi, flaunts a spread of one thousand naira notes, sticks out his tongue, sucks in his lips and cheeks, saying, “Ko po Ke? Who go visit me bayi? Money.” Both his expression (who go visit me bai?) and his funny face became widely-used memes in no time, the first a catchphrase, the other image macros, stickers, GIFs, etc. His memes are photoshopped reactions, and his funny face have been endlessly edited and glued to figures in photos.

5. Oya, Oya, You Don Catch Me Memes

This meme is based on animation character Tom Cat from the legendary William Hannah and Joseph Barbera-created Tom and Jerry. The image is that of Tom, his hands up in the air like an arrested suspect. This animated image has overlaid on it the text, or its variant: “Oya, oya, you don catch me.” Going viral in 2023, this meme type is among the latest addition to the country's vast collection of memetic pieces.

6. Kanayo Ritualist Memes

In the early days of August, 2023, some specific video clips and images were making round on the internet. The clips started on TikTok, but soon spilled to other social media spaces, especially X and WhatsApp. They all have something in common: Kanayo O. Kanayo. It could be his picture or his name or both. The veteran Nollywood actor has played money ritualists in films such as the 2019 Living in Bondage: Breaking Free. Whether as the juju man or the desperate client, these Kanayo's characters became a viral sensation that shot through the web like a charge of errant waves. 

7. Lasisi Elenu Memes

This is a meme based on a comic character. This time it is Nosa Afolabi's. The king of “wide mouth" filter, Nosa’s Lasisi Elenu is a shape-shifting character adept at satires. S/he credibly assumes exaggerated roles of lawyer, yahoo boys, chefs, pastors, spoken word artistes, African mothers, etcetera. Such palette of personalities is meme-worthy, and has given rise to a bunch of them. Significant WhatsApp stickers and X memes are based on this blunder police character.

8. Layi Wasabi Memes

Isaac Ayomide Olawyiwola appeared in 2020. By 2023, he is already so popular a skit maker he has become a widely-used meme. From X image macros to WhatsApp stickers, Layi Wasabi's IG and TikTok contents minted characters that are converted into viral images and GIFs. His stories are relatable, his alter egos are funny, and his fans are many. He is one of the fastest growing skit makers of choice among Gen Z. Like an endless reserve of cool coins, his memes are a stable currency online, proudly flaunted by web-savvy folks.

9. Sabinus Memes

Oga Sabinus, alias Mr Funny, born Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Ejekwu, is easily one of the hottest skit makers in the country. One of the least mysoginistic and sexist content creators, his skits are not only funny but also sensitive. Since 2019, the comedian has been on the rise, becoming, among other things, a beloved meme within internet folks’ circle. With his typical unironed blue shirt, big black trousers, little black (polka-dotted) tie, and so-so black shoes, sometimes complete with a blue jacket, he is a digital spinoff of the African folktale trickster, foolishly being the unintended victim of his own tricks. 

10. Funny Kante Memes

Since his early IG videos, Kante (born Nwokedi Chinemelum Valentine) has always been a comedian. His contents often included videos packed as memes and image macros – memes with superimposed text. So it wasn't surprising when, by 2020, he went viral. Since then, he has become, beyond a viral meme star, a known skit maker, content creator, actor, and comedian. He is now a frequent collaborator with skit maker Shank Comics, one of the country's most known.