Popular Nigerian skit maker and actress, Maryam Apaokagi, better known as Taooma, has revealed that her mother and the everyday behaviour of African parents are the biggest sources of inspiration behind most of her comedy skits.
Speaking in an interview with TheCable shared on X on Monday, Taooma said that although she sometimes experiences creative blocks, she often finds fresh ideas by observing daily life in African homes.
According to her, many of the scenes she recreates in her skits are inspired by the actions, habits and mannerisms of parents, especially mothers.
“It’s not like I don’t run out of ideas, but I obviously recoup and rejuvenate,” she said.
“One of the major sources of my ideas is my mum and daily African parents—what they do and how they do their stuff. I just take the ideas and put my own spice on them.”
The actress added that everyday family interactions provide countless moments that can easily be transformed into relatable comedy.
“If you sit down and think about what your mum does and everything, there are so many crazy things that they do,” she said.
Taooma also shared insights into her personal habits, saying she is intentional about the kind of content she consumes because she prefers materials that inspire creativity and positively influence her mindset.
“I don’t just consume content anyhow. I consume things that I know would inspire me and things that are good for my brain,” she said.
Although she admitted that reading is not one of her regular habits, Taooma disclosed that she recently began reading James Clear’s bestselling book, Atomic Habits.
“I don’t really read books, I’m not going to lie to you. I just started reading Atomic Habits. I pray I finish it this year,” she said.
Speaking on the origin of her popular character, Quadri, Taooma explained that the role was never intended to become a recurring feature in her skits.
She said the character was initially created for a brief appearance, possibly for an advertisement or to introduce another personality, but audience reactions convinced her to keep it.
“Quadri was actually a walk-past role. He was never meant to stay. When I did Quadri, I realised people liked the character,” she said.
Describing the character, Taooma said Quadri represents a typical young man from Ilorin, Kwara State, who is outspoken, fearless and unwilling to tolerate nonsense.
“Quadri is a regular Ilorin boy. They are very rebellious and don’t take nonsense. Everybody has a Quadri character in their life,” she added.
The content creator noted that while she enjoys reflecting Nigerian culture in her productions, most of her creative decisions happen naturally rather than through deliberate planning.
“I don’t sit down and say I want to pick a character from this place or that place. I just do it according to how it comes,” she said.
