Nigeria has had its share of larger-than-life personalities, but Afeez Agoro Oladimeji was literally that, standing at 7 feet 4.58 inches (2.25 metres) tall. For years, he held the unofficial title of Nigeria’s tallest man, turning a medical condition that could have broken him into a platform for fame, advocacy, and entertainment. His story is one of resilience, missed opportunities, and a spirit that refused to shrink, even when life made things incredibly difficult.
Biography
Afeez Agoro Oladimeji was born on December 13, 1975, in Sabo Yaba, Lagos State, weighing a completely average 8 pounds at birth. He was the youngest of three children and grew up in the Akoka area of Yaba, Lagos, where he would spend the rest of his life on Community Road. His family was of Yoruba ethnicity, originally tracing their roots to Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Nothing about his early years hinted at what was to come. He attended St. Finbarr’s College in Yaba and, by his own words, was “not one of the tallest guys during my secondary school days, just a regular youngster with a regular height.” That changed dramatically after his 19th birthday in the mid-1990s, when a persistent illness triggered rapid, unstoppable growth. “When we finished secondary school, I started growing tall. When I’d get sick, I’d grow tall,” he once explained to The Nation.
Nigerian hospitals couldn’t figure out what was happening. It took a visit to a hospital in the United States for doctors to finally diagnose him with acromegaly, a pituitary gland disorder that causes excess growth hormone production. By that point, the growth had already taken hold. Doctors acknowledged they could have intervened earlier had it been caught in time.
After secondary school, Agoro pursued education with determination. He earned an Ordinary National Diploma from the University of Lagos, followed by a Higher National Diploma in Town and Regional Planning from Lagos State Polytechnic, graduating around 2003. He completed his mandatory NYSC in Kolokuma Local Government Area, Bayelsa State the same year.
Career
One of the most heartbreaking chapters of Agoro’s early life involved basketball. In 1997, an American scout spotted him during a tryout in Nigeria and reportedly tagged him as the number-one pick, drawing comparisons to Hakeem Olajuwon. The opportunity collapsed, allegedly because Nigerian coaches demanded money from the scout and the deal fell apart entirely. It was a door that closed before he ever had the chance to walk through it.
Finding regular employment proved just as difficult. Many employers were simply put off by his towering frame, turning him away before giving him a real chance. He eventually secured a two-year contract with the Lagos State Government, which gave him enough financial footing to start small businesses. But his real calling turned out to be entertainment.
Everything changed in 2016, when photos of him standing head and shoulders above everyone around him went viral on Nigerian social media. The internet did what it does best. Media houses rushed to book interviews, celebrities wanted photos with him, and suddenly Afeez Agoro was a household name. In August 2018, he launched “I Am Agoro: Nigeria’s Tallest Man,” a docu-series on Linda Ikeji TV (LITV) that gave audiences a raw, intimate look at his daily life and the challenges that came with his stature.
His biggest film moment arrived with Fate of Alakada: The Party Planner (2020), which became the highest-grossing Nigerian film that year. He starred alongside Toyin Abraham, Broda Shaggi, Odunlade Adekola, and even Davido, proving he could hold his own in Nollywood’s biggest productions. He also appeared in the film Ebudola and featured in various comedy skits throughout his career.
His media reach extended well beyond the screen. He granted interviews to BBC News Pidgin, BBC News Africa, TVC, WazobiaTV, The Nation, and The Punch, among others. He was also registered with the international Tall Tale Agency and attracted the attention of French researchers interested in his extraordinary stature.
Personal Life
Living at 7 feet 5 inches in a city like Lagos came with challenges most people will never have to think about. Danfo buses and most public transport were simply not an option for Agoro. He relied on Uber rides with the front seat pushed all the way back, or commercial motorcycles when he had no other choice. His shoe size of 53 (European) meant footwear had to be ordered from the United States, and all his clothing was custom-made since nothing in Nigerian markets was built for someone his size. At home, he slept on a custom 4-by-8-foot bed.
His late father, who passed in 2005, actually had their family home built with taller doorframes and higher ceilings to make sure his son could move around comfortably. That kind of quiet, thoughtful love clearly meant a great deal to Agoro.
Romance was another complicated chapter. “Many ladies run away from me as a result of my height; so finding a wife, for a long time, was tough,” he once admitted on TVC. He did eventually find a girlfriend standing 5’11” who made the first move. In 2019, photos of him in matching Ankara outfits with a woman named Adewuyi Olufunke went viral and sparked widespread marriage speculation. Agoro quickly set the record straight on Facebook, explaining he had simply attended a school funfair event called “Project Smile” at Yinkyem School wearing aso-ebi with a friend. He never married and had no known children.
Despite the constant physical and social challenges, Agoro stayed positive. “This height has become a blessing to me. I have met several people who have extended their hands of love toward me on account of my unique height,” he once said. He even found humour in his US visa story, joking that the Consular General took one look at him and concluded there was “no way he could escape.”
His health, however, deteriorated significantly in his later years. Beyond the acromegaly itself, he underwent heart surgery in the United States, battled chronic rheumatism, and developed chronic hip arthritis requiring a ball-and-socket joint replacement. In May 2023, after being bedridden for eight months, he released a video publicly appealing for ₦5 million (roughly $6,500 USD) to fund his hip surgery. His last Facebook post on May 28, 2023, showed him recovering from the procedure.
Sadly, complications followed. On June 14, 2023, at approximately 7:30 PM, Afeez Agoro Oladimeji passed away at Lagos University Teaching Hospital. He was 47. He was buried in Akoka, Yaba. The Akoka Community Development Association led tributes in his honour, and a Night of Tribute was held in Enugu State featuring Nollywood actors Charles Anwurum and Victor Osuagwu. Across social media, fans remembered him as “a giant with a gentle heart.”
Net Worth
At the time of his death, Afeez Agoro’s estimated net worth was approximately $100,000 USD. His earnings came from Nollywood film appearances, his Linda Ikeji TV docu-series, modeling work, and small business ventures. These figures are speculative rather than formally verified, but they paint the picture of a man who carved out a livelihood against considerable odds.
His primary social media platform was Facebook, where his page accumulated close to 4,900 followers. He also maintained an Instagram presence under the handle @tallestmaninnigeriaofficial.
Afeez Agoro’s life raises questions that go beyond one man’s story. It points to gaps in Nigeria’s healthcare system, the corruption that derailed what could have been a historic basketball career, and how society treats those who look different from the norm. He took a condition that could have left him invisible and built something visible and lasting from it. Since his passing, no one has formally claimed the “tallest Nigerian” title, though Abiodun Adegoke, standing at 7 feet 11 inches, is now widely considered the likely holder. Even so, when most Nigerians hear the phrase “tallest man in Nigeria,” the name that comes to mind is still Afeez Agoro.
