The Comedy Career of Samuel Oluwafunmibi Olarinde

By Ozolua Uhakheme

Comedy is beyond fun. It is an art and therapy that every human should crave for. It teaches morals, heals the broken, and finds a space for everyone to feel. One, among Nigerian comedians who put his audience first and also takes his crafts seriously, is Samuel Oluwafunmibi Olarinde. An indigene of Odo-owa in Kwara state, who has his birthplace as Lagos, Samuel has proven that taking actions to shape destinies lie in the hands of everyone.

Funbi, as fondly called, had his primary education in Nigerian Navy Primary School, Ojo, graduated in 2004 and gained admission into Nigerian Navy Secondary School, Abeokuta where he learnt discipline till graduation in 2010. In 2016, Funbi Olarinde concluded his Tertiary education in FUNAAB, where he bagged BSc in Microbiology, but he would later transition fully into entertainment business – comedy, music, media and communications.

The universe bestows unto every human a myriad of blessings and for Funbi, it is arts; finding essence in creativity, and its performances. Even while his talent is innate, Funbi still looks up to some set of comedians. Childhood is a phase that shapes all humans, and for Funbi, his idols like AY, Basketmouth, Bovi, Seyi Law and Emeka Smith helped in shaping that early phase.

For every great thing, there are always some challenges, and Funbi was not excluded from his own test. It all started from his university, where he had to keep his transition obvious, even while he was studying a different course entirely from his passion.

With a show of a multifaceted lifestyle, and ingenious creativity, Funbi has his print also in the broadcast media. His career in the media started from a small position in FUNAAB FM in 2014, which he would later leave after graduation in 2016 for Women FM. In 2017, Samuel moved to MEGALECTRICS LIMITED, the mother-organization of Beat 99.9 FM, Naija 102.7 FM, Classic 97.3 FM, and Lagostalks 91.3 FM. In this organisation, over the years, Funbi worked in diverse roles in the music business. Crowning his efforts, in 2021, Funbi was promoted as Head of Programming & Library for the entire brand.

Funbi’s organisation of shows give a glaring outlook of how passion could yield impact if pursued. He has organized 7 editions of FUNBI’s BUS over the years. With the 1st Edition – 02/07/2017; 2nd Edition – 04/08/2019; 3rd Edition – 27/06/2021; 4th Edition – 26/06/2022; 5th Edition – 04/06/2023; 6th Edition – 29/09/2024, and 7th Edition – 02/11/2025. This FUNBI’S BUS show brand evolved from his past campus shows during the come up phase -“Xpression with Funbi Comedious” at Abeokuta on 01/07/2016, Ilorin – 18/03/2016, and Homecoming in FUNAAB, on the 22nd of May, 2019.

FUNBI’s BUS is a name that holds its uniqueness and also its relatability to many. A bus is a medium of transportation that everyone, regardless of race or gender, makes use of, and it is an “ecosystem” on its own where many things happen. On FUNBI’s BUS, laughter, music, art, and many performances for guests do come on board, and this Bus is a lovely ride, truly.

Samuel Oluwafunmibi Olarinde is a Nigerian comedian, music executive, entrepreneur, and a show organizer who has dedicated more than a decade of his life to his arts and promoting creativity. What started with a foundation on campus (FUNAAB), has grown into a name for himself through comedy, diversifying into music business and the media in general. Indeed, He is a jack of entertainment and a master of the arts.