I draw most of my skit ideas from african parents – Taooma

Nigerian skit maker and actress, Maryam Apaokagi popularly known as Taooma, has revealed that her mother and the everyday behaviour of African parents remain the biggest source of inspiration for her comedy content.

Speaking in an interview with TheCable, which was shared on X on Monday, the content creator explained that while she occasionally experiences creative blocks, she often finds fresh ideas by drawing from experiences within African homes.

According to her, many of the memorable moments portrayed in her skits are inspired by the actions and mannerisms of parents, particularly 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.

She added that there are countless humorous situations embedded in everyday family life that can easily be transformed into relatable content.

“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 disclosed that she is deliberate about the type of content she consumes, choosing materials she believes would inspire her creativity and positively impact her mindset.

The skit maker, however, admitted that reading books has not been one of her strengths, joking that she only recently started reading James Clear’s bestselling book, *Atomic Habits*.

“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.

“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 revealed that the role was initially intended as a temporary addition rather than a permanent fixture in her comedy universe.

According to her, the character was created either for an advertisement or simply to introduce another personality into her skits.

She said the overwhelmingly positive response from viewers convinced her to keep the character.

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

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

Describing Kodre’s personality, Taooma said the character embodies the rebellious and outspoken traits commonly associated with young men from Ilorin, Kwara State.

Quadriis a regular Ilorin boy. They are very rebellious and don’t take nonsense. Everybody has a Quadri character in their life,” she added.

The comedian further stated that although she is passionate about showcasing Nigerian culture through her work, many of her creative decisions happen organically 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.