On a bustling street in Dubai, a curious thing happened to the Nigerian content creator Abiri Tobi Folagade. He was stopped, not by someone who recognised him as himself, but by fans who wanted to take a picture with his alter ego.
“Anywhere I go, Dubai, the UK, the US, Africans recognise Mama Deola instantly,” he recalled in a recent interview. For Folagade Banks, as he is professionally known, this global recognition is proof that his sharp-tongued, head-tie-wearing character has struck a universal chord.
The man behind the wig is a 2021 graduate of Geography from Obafemi Awolowo University, a detail that might seem at odds with a career in comedy but one he insists is crucial to his success.
“Studying human geography taught me how to analyse populations, demographics, and trends,” he explained to Businessday. He applies this academic rigour to his content creation, studying his audience with the precision of a data analyst to understand what resonates across different demographics.
Banks’ journey into entertainment began during the compulsory isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Stuck at home and on the verge of his final year, he turned to social media as an outlet for his creativity. However, his big break came with a simple, relatable observation.
During a conversation with university friends about their mothers, he noticed a pattern. “We joked about our mothers and how hilarious they can be at times,” he said. It felt as though all Nigerian mothers had attended the same “school of motherhood”. From that spark, Mama Deola was born.
Mama Deola is the quintessential African mother of a certain generation: overzealous, deeply caring, blunt, and fiercely protective of her family’s image. She is the woman in the church, the mosque, and the market, dispensing advice and criticism in equal measure.
Banks’ portrayal is so accurate that viewers often accuse him of hiding a camera in their homes. He draws directly from his upbringing in a disciplined household with a retired headmistress for a mother, whom he followed everywhere like a “handbag,” absorbing the mannerisms and expressions of an entire generation of women.
What sets Banks apart in Nigeria’s crowded skit-making space is his deliberate choice to keep the content clean. “You don’t need to be vulgar, you don’t need to sexualise content,” he advised aspiring creators. “You can be civil and still go viral”.
His goal was always to create material that families could watch together, using humour as a vehicle for subtle social lessons. “In showing Mama Deola’s excesses, we’re also gently saying: ‘Sometimes, you can tone it down,'” he noted.
This formula of authenticity and family-friendly comedy has translated into staggering numbers. According to data from the analytics firm Dataleum, Banks secured his position as Nigeria’s number one male skit-maker for three consecutive quarters in 2025. In the third quarter alone, he amassed a remarkable 99 million views, 11 million likes, and 1.4 million comments across his platforms, demonstrating not just virality but deep audience engagement.
His influence extends beyond social media metrics; he has collaborated with screen legends like Sola Sobowale and Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, and partnered with global brands such as Netflix, Coca-Cola, and Toyota.
In December 2025, he added the Master of Industry Award for Content Creator of the Year to his growing collection of accolades, which also includes the 2023 Pulse Comedy Influencer of the Year award. Accepting the latest plaque at the Landmark Event Centre in Lagos, he dedicated it to his biggest inspiration: his mother.
For Banks, the character is more than just a source of laughs; it is a tool for cultural preservation. “I want the younger generation to see, on record, what parenting looked like in the older generation, how dramatic, expressive and intense it was,” he explained. “That history matters”.
As he looks to the future, with plans to attend film school and produce his own movies, his message to aspiring creators remains grounded. “Don’t just create because everyone else is doing it,” he advised. “Create to make impact. When you focus on impact, you naturally build a true fan base. Money will follow, growth will follow”. For Folagade Banks, the laughter is just the beginning.
