FROM OBASANJO TO DANGOTE: ISBAE U’S SHOW LANDS ANOTHER GIANT

Nigerian billionaire businessman Aliko Dangote has promised to appear on content creator Isbae U’s YouTube show, Curiosity Made Me Ask, following the comedian’s direct request during an interactive session between the billionaire and Nigerian creatives in Lagos on Monday, October 19, 2026.

The Dangote acceptance marks a significant moment for the platform, which has grown from a niche comedy show into a mainstream interview programme that has now hosted a former president .

THE REQUEST

During the session, Isbae U appealed to Dangote to appear on his popular YouTube programme, explaining that most of the billionaire’s existing interviews were hosted on platforms that younger Nigerians did not typically watch.

“Most of the interviews we’ve seen you have been on platforms that my generation don’t watch,” Isbae U said.

He noted that Dangote, who owns one of the world’s largest single-train refineries, needed to connect more with young Nigerians by appearing on digital platforms popular among his generation.

He clarified that he was not asking Dangote to abandon his existing media team but was encouraging him to engage younger audiences through platforms they readily consume.

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DANGOTE’S RESPONSE

Dangote admitted that he should have been encouraged to communicate more with young Nigerians.

“Honestly, the future that we have is actually you, the youth. We, our own generation, really, we have not really done very well for Nigeria and also for Africa. That’s the truth,” Dangote said .

He added that conversations between generations could help young Nigerians understand the experiences, decisions and challenges that have shaped the country.

“So we need to sit down with some of you and discuss our own experience with you,” he said.

The billionaire acknowledged that his team should have advised him to reach out to younger audiences and assured Isbae U that he would honour the invitation.

“I promise you, you will see a great change. So I will come to your show,” Dangote said .

THE FORMAT

Although he agreed to appear, Dangote did not announce a specific date for the interview. He shared his preference for how the conversation should unfold.”I want it to be a free forum where people can ask me questions,” he said.

THE SHOW’S GROWTH

Curiosity Made Me Ask was launched in December 2023 by Isbae U, whose real name is Adebayo Ridwan.

The show, inspired by American comedian Zach Galifianakis’ Between Two Ferns, has grown to become one of Nigeria’s most-watched online interview programmes.

Its guest list includes some of the biggest names in Nigerian entertainment and public life: veteran actors Pete Edochie, Jide Kosoko, Yemi Solade and Kate Henshaw; musicians Odumodublvck and Bella Shmurda; Super Eagles striker Victor Boniface; comedians Bovi and Shank Comics; and controversial personalities Bobrisky, James Brown and Tacha .

In September 2026, the show landed its biggest guest yet: former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who became the first former Nigerian president to appear on the programme .

Dangote’s proposed appearance would mark a move beyond the entertainment figures who have largely featured on the programme and bring one of Africa’s most prominent businessmen into Isbae U’s informal interview format .

WHY IT MATTERS

The Dangote interview, when it happens, will be more than a celebrity appearance. It will be a generational conversation.

Dangote himself acknowledged that his generation has not done well for Nigeria and Africa.

That admission, from the continent’s richest man, is significant. It suggests a willingness to engage with the critiques that young Nigerians have been making for years.

For Isbae U, the interview represents the culmination of years of consistency. He built a platform by interviewing celebrities in a format that was irreverent, funny, and occasionally uncomfortable. He started with comedians and actors. He moved to musicians and athletes. Then he landed a former president.

Now he has a billionaire.The growth is not accidental. It is the result of showing up, week after week, and building something that people wanted to watch.

ValidViewNetwork reports that Dangote has promised to appear. The date has not been announced. When it happens, it will be a moment.