NEED TO KNOW

• Oluwabukunmi Adeaga-Ilori, popularly known as Kiekie, is a host, content creator, actor, entrepreneur and media personality.
• Kiekie began her career in fashion and launched Accost Collection while studying at Bowen University.
  She has built a major digital audience, with millions of followers across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube.
• As an actor and host, Kiekie has featured in productions including Gingerrr, The Housemaids Series, and Ìlé Owó, while also taking centre stage at major events such as Vibes on the Beach with Wizkid, Burna Boy Live, and Timeless Night with Davido.
• She won AMVCA Online Content Creator of the Year in 2023 and Forbes Africa Top Content Creator of the Year in 2024.

Most people know Kiekie as the woman who makes them laugh. They know the skits, the viral moments, the fashion commentary and personality that has made her one of the most recognisable faces on Nigerian social media.

But behind the humour is a woman who speaks just as passionately about motherhood as she does about content creation. She talks about success with discipline, fame with distance and family with deep protection.

Speaking exclusively with Guardian Life, Kiekie opens up about the many layers of her life, from fashion and comedy to acting, motherhood, privacy, ambition and the values that continue to shape her journey.

You wear many hats: actress, host, entrepreneur, content creator and mother. When you strip everything away, which version of yourself is your favourite?
I’m like an onion. There are different layers to me, and people always ask which one is my favourite.
For a long time, I would have said Kiekie the host. I enjoy hosting so much because every time I hold a microphone, my goal is to create an experience people will remember.

Then acting came along, and I realised I loved that too because it allows me to become somebody entirely different and explore lives I would never normally live.

But if I’m being completely honest, the version of Kiekie that makes me feel most blessed is Kiekie the mum. Nola is the biggest teacher I’ve ever had. She has taught me lessons about honesty, truth and life that I never expected to learn from a three-year-old. So if I have to choose, Kiekie the mum is my favourite version of Kiekie.

Some of your most popular content centres on tailor problems. Did your fashion business inspire the content?
Fashion came long before content creation. I started my clothing line in 2008 while I was in my third year at Bowen University.

My school had changed its dress code, so students needed skirts below the knee, flared skirts and outfits that met the new requirements. I started making those clothes and launched the brand with a fashion show in school.

The first major content that came from my fashion journey was Fashion Shock Show, where I talked about what people were wearing and how they could wear it better.

The ‘tailor’ content came later. My customers would always tell me crazy stories about their experiences with tailors. Because I am a tailor, I rarely have those experiences myself. But when people kept sharing them with me, I started turning them into content. The response was huge because so many people could relate to it.

Comedy has become a powerful part of your brand. When did you realise you could make a career out of making people laugh?
The beautiful thing is that I have always been this way. I studied Mass Communication because I always wanted to be a TV presenter. Speaking in front of people has always come naturally to me.

What surprised me was that brands started approaching me. People would say, “You are hilarious. Can you talk about our product?” One brand became another, and before I knew it, I had built a career around being myself.
The skit side happened when Mr Macaroni invited me to appear in one of his skits in 2020. The reaction was incredible. People kept asking, “Who is this girl?”

After that, I started making my own skits. From 2020 till now, I have published more than 500 skits.

Would you say skit-making was the biggest risk you took to launch that part of your career?
I don’t think it was a risk because the people were already waiting for me.

I always tell people that if you pay attention and with guidance from God, you can almost tell the direction your life is taking.

I am grateful to be the last child because I learned by watching my older siblings. I saw what worked and what did not work and used those lessons to make better decisions.

When I got into university, I was studying Sociology, but I knew I wanted Mass Communication. Even though I was told there was no space, I kept pushing until my course was changed.

That is what I mean by paying attention. When you watch people who have gone ahead of you, you make better decisions for yourself.

How do you keep up with trends while also setting them?
Trends come naturally to me because I genuinely love fashion, dance and culture. But what matters most to me is authenticity. Three things define my brand: I am spontaneous, authentic and genuine.

When I jump on a trend, I make sure there is still a piece of me inside it. That is why people often say, “I knew Kiekie would do it differently.”

What has motherhood changed about you?
Motherhood has taught me that people are different and should be allowed to be themselves. Nola is a very independent child. There was a time I realised she simply did not like the colour orange. Instead of forcing her to wear it, I asked myself, “Why should I?”

That may seem like a small thing, but it taught me a bigger lesson about respecting people’s individuality.
Motherhood has made me more attentive, more patient and more understanding. The biggest thing, though, is that no matter how stressful my day has been, everything changes the moment I see Nola.

You also founded Kiekie Mums Foundation. What inspired it?
The experience I had after giving birth to Nola inspired it. I had an incredible support system. My parents were there. My husband was there. Everyone was helping. And I still felt overwhelmed.

So I started thinking about women who are doing it alone. That was what inspired Kiekie Mums Foundation, where we support new mums and young parents.

What do you do when you need to disconnect from the spotlight?
The funny thing is that I am already disconnected from it. People often have to remind me that I am famous.
I still think of myself as a regular person. Sometimes I walk into places and completely forget that people know me. That is just how I am wired. I like being free, even though my work does not always allow it.

Is there a part of you that people do not really see?
Honestly, I think people have seen a lot of me. The only part people do not see is my private parts. I do not share my husband online. I do not share my marriage online. People always ask, “Why don’t you?” But the answer is simple. That part of my life is what is most dear to me, and it is personal.

What I am doing for my daughter now is exactly what my parents did for me. I am giving her room to shine and do the things she wants to do.

Young parents ask me, “How do you get Nola to do content?” I do not get Nola to do content. She does it by herself.
That was what my parents also did for me. They encouraged the things I wanted and gave me room to grow.

Growing up, what values were non-negotiable for you?
Number one is truth. Lying was non-negotiable in my house. My father did not tolerate lies, and that value shaped me a lot. It has helped me, even though sometimes it affects me in business. Even if I end up on the losing side, I will still choose truth over everything else because I sleep better that way.

My parents also taught us that any money that is not in your hand is not your money. No matter what someone promises you, if it has not entered your account, it is not your money.

That lesson has helped me stay grounded. I am a big dreamer, but I am not overly ambitious. I believe that when the time is right, I will get there.

How has that shaped your relationship with success and luxury?
I believe you should enjoy big things if you can afford them, but you should not kill yourself to afford them. When I finished NYSC, I wanted a car. My parents asked me if I could afford to maintain one.

So my dad got me a brand-new Nissan Juke in 2013, and I was excited. Seven years later, I bought my first Mercedes, and I was happy because I got there at the right time.

A lot of young people put themselves under pressure to keep up. My view is simple: enjoy big things if you can afford them, but do not destroy your peace trying to look successful.

What excites you about this chapter of your life?
I feel like all the layers of me have been fully established. Kiekie the host. Kiekie the actor. Kiekie, the content creator. Kiekie the businesswoman.

When people talk about top hosts in Nigeria, my name comes up. As an actor, I have titles on Prime Video, Netflix and in cinemas. As a brand, I have worked with major brands in Nigeria and outside Nigeria. I feel like I have mastered what I do. I have balanced it. Now it is time to scale.

What legacy would you like to leave beyond fame?
I want people to think about me and be happy. I want people to come across my platforms and laugh. I want them to see my name and feel joy.

I do not want people to say, “Kiekie is that girl”, in a way that feels distant. I just want people to be happy. People are going through different things, and I have gone through things I do not share because they are personal.

So, I want people to be kind, spread happiness and share love. When people see me, think about me or come across my work, I want them to feel excitement and happiness. That is the legacy I want.