20 years after he made debut with what today is 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 returned fully into film production, the latest being the much publicized 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.