Nigeria, June 29 -- I love comedy clubs. Always have. My wife calls them my happy place and she's not wrong. Although I haven't had the opportunity to attend one recently, I often find myself immersed in stand-up clips from the likes of Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Kevin Hart, and a constellation of other comedic virtuosos. Back in the pressure-cooker days of my residency training in New York City, those clubs were my sanctuary. In those dimly lit rooms, laughter became a kind of quiet rebellion against the gravity of my daily grinds.

I still remember Comic Strip Live on the Upper East Side, reputedly the city's longest-running stand-up venue. It's where legends like Seinfeld and Rock first found their voice. There's something profoundly ...