Abiodun Duro-Ladipo

Abiodun Duro-Ladipo (born 1941) is a Nigerian actress and singer of noble Yoruba birth. In 1963, she joined the theatre company of Duro Ladipo, whom she married the following year. Acting in her husband's epic plays, she was particularly successful in the role of Oya in Oba Koso and in the title role of Moremi. In the 1960s and early 1970s, she appeared across Europe at several international festivals. Since her husband's death in 1978, Abiodun has appeared in Nigerian television series and in films promoting African culture, once again playing Moremi in the 2009 film of the same name.

Biography Abiodun was born into a royal family at Ijan-Ekiti in Nigeria's Ekiti State, thus making her an Omoba of the Yoruba people. Initially interested in becoming a nurse, on completing her secondary education in 1963, she joined the Mbari Mbayo Theatre Group run by Duro Ladipo, soon becoming head of the women's group. In 1964, she married Ladipo. A permanent member of the troupe, she gained fame as an actress, taking the main roles in all the plays performed by the company.

She is keen to ensure that significant work is documented and she has been collecting newspaper articles about Yorùbá travelling theatre and in particular the Duro Lapido Theatre since 1964. She has a large collection of costumes and memorabilia.