My mum inspires most of my comedy skits — Taooma

Nigerian skit maker and actress, Maryam Apaokagi, popularly known as Taooma, has revealed that her mother and the everyday habits of African parents are the biggest inspiration behind her comedy skits.

Speaking in an interview with TheCable, shared on X on Monday, Taooma said she sometimes experiences creative blocks but often finds new ideas by observing life in African homes.

According to the content creator, many of the scenes in her skits are inspired by the actions and behaviour of parents, especially mothers.

“It’s not like I don’t run out of ideas, but I obviously recoup and rejuvenate.

“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,” she said.

Taooma added that everyday family life provides many moments that can easily be turned 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.

The actress also spoke about her personal habits, saying she is intentional about the kind of content she consumes because she wants material that inspires creativity and contributes positively to 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 she is not an avid reader, Taooma said she recently started reading James Clear’s bestselling book, Atomic Habits.

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“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.”

Speaking on the origin of her popular character, Quadri, Taooma explained that the role was never intended to become a regular part of her skits.

She said the character was initially created for a brief appearance, possibly for an advert or to introduce another personality into her content. However, viewers’ reactions convinced her to keep the character.

“Quadri was actually a walk-past role. He was never meant to stay,” she said.

“When I did Quadri I realised people liked the character.”

Taooma described Quadri as a typical young man from Ilorin, Kwara State, known for being outspoken and fearless.

“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.

She also noted that while she enjoys showcasing Nigerian culture in her work, most of her creative decisions happen naturally rather than through careful 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.