It is 11:45 PM, the night before the most important exam of the semester. Four friends have gathered in Tunde’s room to read together. Suddenly, the room goes pitch black. NEPA β the Nigerian power company β has struck again. What follows is the most relatable, chaotic, and hilarious night any Nigerian student has ever survived.
π₯ CHARACTERS
- Tunde β The host. Overly optimistic, always “almost done” reading. Never actually done reading.
- Chisom β The anxious one. Has memorized everything but panics every 10 minutes.
- Bola β The sleeper. Was “just resting his eyes” from the very beginning.
- Emeka β The tech bro. Believes YouTube videos are better than textbooks. Has watched zero tutorials.
π SETTING
A cramped university hostel room at night. One small reading table with four chairs, textbooks scattered everywhere, a phone charging on the only available socket, and one small reading lamp. The room is barely big enough for two people. Outside β distant generator sounds and a dog barking.
π¬ FULL SCRIPT
CHISOMTunde, you have read Chapter 5 to 12 already?
TUNDEAh, almost done. Just finishing Chapter 3 now.
CHISOMChapter 3?! Tunde, exam is by 8 AM! It is almost midnight!
TUNDERelax na. I am a fast reader. These things enter my head like water.
Bola is face-down in his textbook, clearly asleep. Emeka is on his phone, headphones in.
CHISOMBola! BOLA! Wake up! You are not reading β you are sleeping!
BOLA(jolting awake) Hmm?! I was reading! I swear! “The economic implications of…”
CHISOMThat chapter is not even on the syllabus, Bola.
BOLA(slowly closing the book) I know. I just wanted to… broaden my mind.
Emeka removes one earphone, looks around importantly.
EMEKAGuys. I have been watching a YouTube video that summarizes the entire course in 47 minutes.
CHISOMEmeka! We are writing in 8 hours!
EMEKAYes. 47 minutes. That gives us 7 hours and 13 minutes to sleep. Very efficient.
TUNDEThe man makes sense actuallyβ
CHISOMNobody should agree with him right now. Nobody.
Suddenly β total darkness. The power cuts. Everyone screams simultaneously.
ALLNEEEPA!!!
BOLAGod is punishing someone in this room. I know it.
TUNDEWait, wait. I have candles. (Rummages around) I have candles somewhereβ
CHISOMTunde if you do not find those candles in the next 10 seconds I will go home and come back with my own generator.
Tunde lights a single small candle. The room glows dimly. Everyone stares at the tiny flame.
EMEKASo we are now in the 1800s.
BOLAMy laptop has 3% battery. THREE PERCENT. This is not enough to even write a goodbye message.
CHISOMI have all my notes on Google Docs. My phone is at 12%. This is a crisis. This is a genuine national crisis.
TUNDEPower will come. Just calm down. God is still on the throne.
CHISOMTunde, God is on the throne but NEPA is at the switch and they have clearly made a different decision!
Emeka is desperately trying to save his YouTube video for offline. Bola is already asleep again.
EMEKAWait. Wait. My data is almost finished too. This country… this country is trying us.
CHISOMCan someone wake Bola up again please? How is he sleeping?!
TUNDE(poking Bola) BOLA!
BOLA(without opening eyes) I have submitted to God’s will. Whatever mark I get, it is divine.
CHISOMBola I beg you in the name of the Most High, open your eyes.
Chisom starts reading her notes aloud by candlelight at terrifying speed.
CHISOMThe aggregate demand formula is Y equals C plus I plus G plus NX and the multiplier effect means thatβ
EMEKAChisom, you are speaking in tongues.
CHISOMThis is Economics, Emeka!
EMEKASame thing. Same energy.
Tunde suddenly has a brainwave.
TUNDEWait. I know what to do. We all combine our phone batteries. One person reads, one person holds the torch, everyone listens. Team work.
CHISOMThat is… actually not a bad idea.
BOLA(still horizontal) I can contribute. My contribution is moral support.
CHISOMBOLA.
BOLAAnd prayers. Very powerful prayers.
They huddle around one phone. Chisom reads aloud. Tunde takes notes on paper. Emeka’s head keeps drooping. Bola is fully asleep. An hour passes.
TUNDEYou know what, I think I understand this topic now. I am not even worried.
CHISOMTunde, you just asked me what GDP stands for twenty minutes ago.
TUNDEAnd now I know. Growth. Definitely… Growth.
EMEKAThat is not right.
TUNDENeither of you is helping my confidence right now.
The power comes back on suddenly. The room floods with light. Bola sits bolt upright.
BOLA(fully awake, pointing at the ceiling) NEPA!!! MY GOD!!! LIGHT!!! HALLELUJAH!!!
CHISOMYou were asleep this whole time!
BOLAAnd yet I am the most rested. The Lord provides.
Everyone scrambles for their chargers, laptops, and phones simultaneously. Chaos. Cables flying everywhere.
EMEKAMy 47-minute video still has 44 minutes left. There is still time. WE HAVE STILL GOT TIME!
CHISOMIt is 3 AM, Emeka!!
TUNDEListen. It is too late to read more. Let us just sleep. We do our best, God does the rest.
CHISOMI cannot believe I came here to read with you people.
BOLAChisom, you came here because you love us. Sleep now. Read in the dream.
Chisom slowly puts down her notes. One by one they all slump into whatever position they can find. Bola is already snoring before anyone else closes their eyes. Fade out.
TUNDE(whispering in the dark) Hey Chisom. What does GDP stand for?
CHISOM(through gritted teeth) Good night, Tunde.
π ACTING TIPS
- Chisom should be permanently on the verge of tears. Her eyes should be wide, scanning the room for threats at all times. Speak fast and breathless when panicking.
- Bola is the star of this skit β his sleep should be comedically immediate and deep. Every time he wakes up, he should look genuinely confused about where he is before recovering.
- Tunde must be unfazed to the point of comedy. Calm voice, slight smile, completely unbothered by the crisis unfolding around him.
- Emeka should always be slightly distracted, his eyes occasionally drifting back to his phone even mid-conversation.
- The moment NEPA cuts: everyone MUST react at exactly the same time. Rehearse this for maximum comedic effect.
π· CAMERA IDEAS
- Opening shot: Wide establishing shot of the crowded room β show all four characters and the chaos of books, phones, and bags.
- Candlelight scene: Shoot tight and dim. Use actual candlelight for authenticity. The glow creates natural drama.
- Bola sleeping: Cut to extreme close-up of his face every time he falls asleep. The audience must see the exact moment he goes under.
- NEPA comes back: Use an abrupt bright flash β can be done in editing or with someone flicking a real light switch. Cut to wide shot of everyone scrambling.
- Final whisper: Close-up of Tunde’s face in the dark, then pan to Chisom’s exhausted expression. Hold for 2 seconds. Perfect comedic beat.
π SUGGESTED SOUND EFFECTS
- Nigerian power cut sound effect β the specific “peen” sound NEPA makes
- Distant generator humming in background throughout
- Pencil scratching on paper during the study section
- Dramatic “HALLELUJAH” choir sting when power returns
- Bola’s exaggerated snoring sound effect between scenes
- Phone battery low warning sound
- WhatsApp notification sounds during the study session
π± TIKTOK CAPTION IDEAS
- “Me and the exam I did not prepare for π #NigerianStudents #NEPA #FinalExams”
- “NEPA said ‘you will not pass’ and honestly same π #NaijaStudents #UniversityLife”
- “When your study group has a sleeper, a panic queen, a philosopher, and a YouTube theologian π©π³π¬”
- “This is exactly what happened last semester and somehow we survived π #ASUU #NaijaLife”
- “POV: Nigerian student the night before exams. Tag your Bola π #NigerianContent”
π ALTERNATIVE ENDING
After power returns, Chisom discovers that the exam has been postponed by the school due to a lecturer strike. She screams. Bola does not care because he was asleep anyway. Tunde says “I knew God would provide.” Emeka finally finishes his 47-minute video β only to discover it was for the wrong course entirely.
