For years, the bald-headed comic patriarch known as Papa Ajasco made Nigerians laugh from their living rooms. His exaggerated expressions, “ojigbi jigbi” comment and dramatic tapping of his bald head when astonished, was what turned a simple sitcom into one of the country’s most recognisable television brands.
For younger Nigerians raised on streaming platforms and social media, the name Papa Ajasco may barely ring a bell. But long before DSTV, Netflix and TikTok reshaped entertainment, the character and sitcom that carried his name was once a weekly ritual in Nigerian homes.
A Cry for Help
In March 2026, veteran actor Abiodun Ayoyinka aka Papa Ajasco drew national attention after an emotional interview with media personality Lucky Udu, where he spoke candidly about the struggles he now faces decades after becoming a household name.
Ayoyinka, best known for portraying the iconic bald-headed patriarch in Papa Ajasco & Company, revealed that the fame associated with the character Papa Ajasco has not translated into financial security.
At 65, the actor said he currently does not own a house or a car and is struggling to make ends meet, despite the widespread belief that actors from popular television shows must be wealthy. He said during the interview:
“Things have not been okay for me. I am 65 years old. People think I am a millionaire but I am not. I need help and connection.”
Ayoyinka explained that even during the peak of the sitcom’s popularity in 1997, his pay was modest. He disclosed that he earned about ₦22,500 per episode at the time. Nearly three decades later, he said his earnings from the show have only risen to between ₦45,000 and ₦60,000 per episode.
But the bigger challenge, he noted, is that the work is irregular. According to the actor, production for the show happens infrequently, sometimes only once a year or even once every two years. When filming does occur, about 13 episodes may be recorded in a short period, after which there may be no work again for months. He revealed:
“As I am now, they only call me for Papa Ajasco work once a year and sometimes two years. They pay me ₦45,000 per episode. We will record like 13 episodes and they will not call me again until the following year.”
Ayoyinka also revealed another obstacle affecting his ability to earn outside the show. The character Papa Ajasco is a trademarked intellectual property owned by producer Wale Adenuga. Because of this, the actor cannot independently use the costume, name or image of the character for endorsements, advertisements or public appearances without explicit permission.
The restriction, he said, has significantly limited opportunities to capitalise on the fame the character once brought him.
Appealing directly to the public and potential collaborators, the veteran actor used the interview to ask for opportunities that could help improve his situation. He asked:
“Right now, I don’t have a car or a house… I need companies and social media to start calling me for work.”
Who Is Papa Ajasco?
For readers who did not grow up in the era of scheduled television, Papa Ajasco may sound like just another internet reference. But long before streaming and social media transformed how Nigerians consume entertainment, Papa Ajasco was the central figure in one of the country’s most widely watched comedy series.
The character anchors the long-running sitcom Papa Ajasco & Company, created by veteran producer Wale Adenuga. The show first aired on Nigerian television in the mid-1990s and quickly grew into one of the most recognisable comedy programmes in the country.
At the centre of the story is Papa Ajasco himself. The character is a bald-headed, often clueless patriarch whose exaggerated reactions and comic misfortune frequently land him in trouble with his long-suffering wife, Mama Ajasco. Around him revolves a colourful cast of characters including his son Bobo Ajasco, Boy Alinco, Miss Pepeiye and the unlucky duo Pa James and Pa Jimoh.
But the character’s origins go back even further. Papa Ajasco first appeared decades earlier in the popular comic magazine Ikebe Super, also created by Adenuga in the 1970s. Over time, the characters moved from comic pages to film and eventually to television, where the sitcom became a staple of Nigerian entertainment.
At its peak, Papa Ajasco & Company was not just another TV programme. It was one of the most watched comedy shows in Nigeria, broadcast across multiple stations and viewed by audiences across the country and beyond.
The Man Behind the Character
For many viewers, Papa Ajasco was simply the bumbling patriarch whose comic misfortune drove each episode’s storyline. But behind the character was Abiodun Ayoyinka, one of the actors who helped bring the role to life during the show’s early television years.
Ayoyinka became widely associated with the character thanks to his distinctive portrayal of the bald head, exaggerated facial expressions and comedic head slaps that became the character’s trademark.
During the sitcom’s peak in the late 1990s and early 2000s, his performance made Papa Ajasco one of the most recognisable figures on Nigerian television.
Yet the character eventually outgrew the actor who first defined it. Over the years, other performers stepped into the role, including Femi Ogunrombi, who later played Papa Ajasco during a different phase of the show.
The existence of multiple actors portraying the same character would later lead to confusion, and eventually thrust Ayoyinka back into the spotlight.
Death Rumours and the Video That Shocked Many
In January 2023, news broke that Femi Ogunrombi had died.
Because Ogunrombi had also portrayed Papa Ajasco, the news quickly spread across social media as reports that “Papa Ajasco” himself had passed away.
The confusion grew so widespread that Abiodun Ayoyinka felt compelled to publicly address it.
Appearing in a short video circulated online, the veteran actor clarified that he was alive and that the deceased actor was another performer who had once played the same role.
For many younger Nigerians, the video served as their first introduction to the man behind the character.
Fame Without Fortune
For many actors of Nigeria’s early television era, popularity did not always translate into lasting financial security.
During the formative years of Nollywood and Nigerian television in the 1990s and early 2000s, the industry was still developing. Contracts were often informal, and the systems that exist today, such as royalties or residual payments for reruns, were largely absent.
Actors who appeared in widely broadcast programmes were typically paid once for their performances, even if the shows continued to air for years afterward.
As a result, performers like Abiodun Ayoyinka, who became widely recognised through Papa Ajasco & Company, did not always enjoy long-term financial benefits from their fame.
In that changing environment, many early television icons gradually faded from the spotlight.
Why Gen Z Barely Knows Papa Ajasco
The story also reflects how dramatically Nigeria’s media landscape has changed.
When Papa Ajasco & Company first rose to popularity, television viewing was largely a shared experience. Families gathered around a single television set to watch the same programmes at the same time.
With fewer channels and limited entertainment choices, popular shows quickly became national cultural events.
Today, however, audiences consume entertainment very differently. Streaming platforms, YouTube, TikTok and other digital media have fragmented viewership, making it far more difficult for any single programme to dominate national attention the way television shows once did.
Ironically, Papa Ajasco & Company still airs on television today through various channels and satellite platforms. But in an era of algorithm-driven entertainment and endless viewing choices, even long-running programmes struggle to achieve the cultural reach they once enjoyed.
For many younger viewers, Papa Ajasco therefore feels like a relic of another media age.
Conclusion
In many ways, the story of Papa Ajasco mirrors the story of Nigerian television itself.
It rose during the golden age of terrestrial broadcasting, became a national cultural fixture, and gradually faded from the centre of public attention as digital media transformed the entertainment landscape.
Yet behind that legacy remains Abiodun Ayoyinka, the man whose performance helped turn a comic character into a household name.
And now, decades after millions of Nigerians laughed at his on-screen misadventures, his voice is once again reaching the public…. this time not for laughter, but for help.
