Tolibian Skit-Making Journey helped him gain visibility before fully committing to music, the Nigerian singer reveals in a new interview

Nigerian singer Abubakar Abdulmutolib Ottan, popularly known as Tolibian, has said his early years creating skits and TikTok duets played a decisive role in shaping his artistic identity before he transitioned fully into music.

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Tolibian described the skit phase as a formative period that gave him both visibility and creative freedom.

“The skit-making phase was more like a period of expression and visibility for me. I was doing skits, duets on TikTok and combining a lot of things at the same time,” Tolibian said.

The fast-rising artiste explained that natural growth prompted him to streamline his focus and treat music as a full-time profession.

According to Tolibian, the decision marked an evolution rather than a departure from his creative roots.

“Naturally, people grow and evolve, so I decided to focus on music and treat it as a full-time career,” he added.

Addressing speculation about tensions within the content creation community, Tolibian firmly dismissed claims of any rift with former collaborators.

He described his relationship with colleagues in the skit-making space as cordial and supportive.

“I have no problem with my colleagues; they are my friends and we are very cool. I still reach out to them when I release new music and we come up with something,” Tolibian said.

Although he acknowledged that skit-making is not his primary niche, Tolibian noted that the format remains a strategic promotional tool for his music.

The experience, he suggested, continues to influence how he engages audiences in the digital era.

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The Tolibian Skit-Making Journey highlights a broader trend among emerging Nigerian artistes who leverage social media platforms to build audiences before stepping fully into mainstream music.