Many consider marriage a natural step for celebrities once they are rich and famous. However, this is yet to be the path for some Nigerian stars. Whether by choice or not, these Nollywood stars are over 40 years old and have never been married.
As one of the world's top three film and TV industries, Nollywood is a hub of immense talent. Star actors, TV personalities, directors, and producers have won significant fanbases for their craft. Unfortunately, due to the sometimes invasive nature of fans, many celebrities prefer to keep their relationships private.
Unmarried Nollywood Actors
Nollywood is home to some of the world's brightest and most handsome actors. From those who don’t believe in marriage to those who are waiting for the right person, these are some Nigerian actors who are not married.
Osita Iheme
Age: 40 years
Osita Iheme has been a Nollywood star since his breakthrough in 2002. He is commonly known as Pawpaw after his breakout role in Aki na Ukwa (2002). He is half of the dynamic duo Aki and PawPaw, along with Chinedu Ikedieze.
In 2017, Iheme was rumoured to have married Ghanaian actress Nana Ama McBrown. The actor neither confirmed nor denied the rumours. McBrown has been married to Ghanaian entrepreneur Maxwell Mawu Mensah since 2016, and they have one child together.
Nonso Diobi
Age: 46 years
Nonso Diobi made his acting debut in 2001 but gained critical acclaim following his role in Across the Bridge (2005). Over 21 years in the film industry, Diobi has been in over 150 Nollywood movies. He has won multiple awards, including two African Movie Academy Awards for Best Actor.
In a 2021 interview with BBC News Igbo, Diobi stated that he is interested in getting married someday. Unfortunately, only a few women would be patient with his actor lifestyle, which often involves a lot of travel. He stated that he was dating someone whose identity he wouldn’t reveal, and they were trying to figure out how it would work for them.
Uti Nwachukwu
Age: 40 years
Model, actor, and TV presenter Uti Nwachukwu started his career on the Nigerian reality show, Next Movie Star. After finishing second, he joined Big Brother Africa season 3 and later Big Brother Africa: All Stars (season 5), emerging as the winner. He has over 30 acting credits and hosted Jara and The Real Housewives of Lagos Reunion. Uti is also an alternative rock musician.
Nwachukwu has been adamant that he does not intend to "settle" with a woman. Instead, he plans to choose a partner when he feels the time is right. He emphasised that he does not owe the public access to his private life.
Denrele Edun
Age: 41 years
Adenrele Oluwafemi Edun has been in the film and TV industry since he was 11. He is best known as a television presenter. He has interviewed international celebrities, including Akon, Beyonce, and Tyler Perry. He has won multiple awards for being a dynamic TV personality. He also acts occasionally, including starring in the 2014 film Make a Move.
The TV personality's dating life has been subject to much scrutiny. Because of his flamboyant and effeminate outfits, fans have wondered about his sexuality. Denrele refuses to address rumours surrounding his sexual orientation, saying that he enjoys the mystery. He has, however, stated that he would like to settle down and get married when the time is right.
Wale Ojo
Age: 54 years
Wale Ojo is a veteran British-Nigerian actor who started his career as a child star. He rose to fame for his role in The Hard Case (1995). He has since had multiple roles in film, TV, and theatre in Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
Ojo revealed that numerous heartbreaks in his past were why he was still unmarried. Ex-girlfriends jilted him because he was a struggling actor in London. Still, the actor would like to settle down with a lady someday, and he has no age restrictions for his potential wife.
Baba Dee
Age: 45+
Dare Fasasi, aka Baba Dee, is best known as a dancehall artiste. Though he has minimal experience in the field, the Swedish-Nigerian musician also has some acting credits. Baba Dee founded the Naija Ninja Entertainment Production Company with his late brother Sound Sultan. The label produced the 2014 movie Head Gone, which Baba Dee directed.
The artist is yet to reveal his exact age. However, his younger brother passed on at 45 in 2021, making him at least 46. Baba Dee has one son, Tunde Valhberg Fasasi, who is a Swedish citizen. However, Baba Dee has never been married. He stated that he would get married at God's time.
Unmarried Nollywood Actresses
Although they have won the hearts of fans all over Nigeria and Africa, these Nollywood actresses are yet to tie the knot. Some have given their reasons, while others prefer not to talk about their romantic lives.
Genevieve Nnaji
Age: 43 years
Genevieve is one of Nollywood's biggest stars as an actress, producer, and director. She started acting at age 8 in the soap opera Ripples. Her notable film and TV career made her one of the best-paid actresses in Nollywood in 2009. She made her production debut in 2015 and her directorial debut in 2018 with the drama film Lionheart.
The actress has been romantically linked to various high-profile figures in Nigeria, including D'banj and Alhaji Ishaya Bako, but she confirmed none of the rumours. She keeps a low profile but has stated that she is unmarried because she fears divorce. She had her daughter, Theodora Chimebuka Nnaji, when she was 17.
Bimbo Akintola
Age: 52 years
Bimbo Akintola is an actress, producer, and director. She made her acting debut in 1995 in Owo Blow. She won the Best Actress Award at the Eko International Film Festival in 2015.
At the age of 52, Bimbo is yet to get married. She is rumoured to have walked out of her marriage after a year and one month. However, there are no reliable reports that she has ever been married.
Franca Brown
Age: 55 years
Franca Brown is best remembered as Mama Nosa from the TV drama Behind the Clouds. She has won numerous awards, including the City People Movie Special Recognition Award at the City People Entertainment Awards in 2016. She is also a film director, producer, and TV personality.
Although Brown is one of the Nollywood actors who are not married, she said she believed in marriage. She told Vanguard that she was ready to be asked but didn't believe being unmarried was a challenge to her.
Tina Mba
Age: 55 years
Tina Mba has been acting for over a decade and has worked with Nollywood icons like Sola Sobowale and Funke Akindele. She is a single mother of two children, Joseph and Tania.
Tina does not glamorise the institution of marriage. As she said in a conversation on the Jara show, she believes marriage is a burden and sacred. As such, she thinks that people who are not ready for the huge responsibilities associated with marriage should stay away from it.
Elvina Ibru
Age: 50 years
Elvina Ibru is an
