Maryam Apaokagi, better known as Taaooma, was born in Ilorin, Kwara State, but spent most of her childhood in Namibia. She was the last of five children, and being the youngest meant she was often at the centre of her family’s attention. Her mother, who was a Nigerian diplomat, was transferred to Namibia when Maryam was still under 18, so she moved there with her. She completed part of her primary education in Nigeria before continuing her secondary education in Namibia, where she has described her childhood as a happy one. She was particularly close to her mother and has joked that she was like her mother’s “handbag” because she went almost everywhere with her.
She eventually returned to Nigeria in 2015 to attend Kwara State University, where she studied Tourism and Travel Service Management. Although her degree was not related to filmmaking, her time at KWASU was when she started exploring cinematography and became interested in learning how to shoot and edit videos. Her interest led her to Abdulaziz Oladimeji, known as Abula, who was already working with cameras and editing videos. She began learning from him, picking up skills in filming and using editing software such as Adobe Premiere Pro.
She soon needed footage to practise with, which was how she ended up turning the camera on herself. Apaokagi was not trying to become a comedian or build an online following at this point. She was mainly interested in becoming a better editor, so she recorded herself, edited the footage and posted the videos online to get feedback. The response, however, kept focusing on something she had not set out to showcase as people kept commenting on her acting and telling her that she was funny.
In 2019, Apaokagi made a skit about an African mother taking her child to school, a scene she almost did not record because she was preparing to return to school. Abula encouraged her to shoot it before she left, and she eventually did. After posting it, she moved on with her day without expecting much from it. Her internet connection in Ilorin was unreliable, so she was not even online when the response started coming in. Someone eventually called and told her to check Instagram, where she found around 100 to 200 comments on the video. At the time, that was far more attention than she was used to receiving.
This school-run skit brought a much larger audience to her page and established Mama Taaoo as the character most people associated with her. Her ability to switch between different roles also became one of the things that set her videos apart. That style came with its own criticism, particularly over the exaggerated slaps and discipline in the Mama Taaoo skits. Apaokagi has however repeatedly explained that the character is an exaggerated version of the typical African mother and that the violence shown in the videos should not be taken as a portrayal of her real relationship with her mother.
In 2020, Apaokagi spoke publicly about her parents’ divorce, giving audiences a glimpse into the woman behind the comedy. A year later, she married Abula, the man who had taught her how to edit, and they welcomed their daughter in 2024. As her platform grew, she also began using it to speak about issues such as domestic violence, rape and education, particularly through stories about the experiences of young Nigerian women. Her work eventually earned her a place on The Guardian’s 100 Most Inspiring Women in Nigeria shortlist. Today, her creative work extends to The Greenade Company, where she directs projects for the video production and entertainment company, while she also runs Chop Tao, her food business.
