The Nigerian film industry is known for creating some of the most iconic and timeless stories through the use of the most talented actors. The celebrity and Nollywood space in Nigeria is rapidly falling due to the increasing divorce rates in the world, there have been quite several separations and single parenting in the industry. These Nollywood actors who are single fathers might not have the perfect, most smooth sailing personal lives, but they sure do have a good professional life and good relationship with their kids.
The phenomenon of single fatherhood is in every corner of the world, and Nollywood is not an exception to this. Several actors have taken on the responsibility of being single parents or co-parents after the end of their union with their partners. Here’s a look at some of these Nollywood actors who are single fathers.
Ikechukwu Mitchel Ogbonna, professionally known as IK Ogbonna, is a Nigerian film and television actor, model, director, and television personality. The actor is known for his long list of acting credits which have catapulted him to long-lasting fame. The Nollywood actor married Colombian beauty, Sophia Morales in 2015, and the union between the married couple resulted in the birth of their son Ace Ogbonna. Unfortunately, in 2022, the couple decided to get a divorce. There are also reports that the actor has a daughter named Makayla from a previous relationship.
2. Charles Okocha
Charles Okocha also known as Igwe 2pac is a Nollywood actor, entrepreneur, and businessman. This famous actor is known for starring in some of the most iconic Nollywood movies and shows. Lately, he has showcased his talent through his social media platforms, showing off his two kids, Mercy Ogbonna and Sean Ogbonna. While the famous actor has been known for his single father status for a long while, he tied the knot on November 4, 2024, to his newly wedded wife, Mimi Okocha.
3. Chidi mokeme
Chidi Mokeme has achieved A-list Nollywood status in the industry for his phenomenal acting and presenting skills. He’s starred in blockbuster hit shows and has had the role of TV presenter for some of the best shows. Chidi Mokeme is yet another one of those Nollywood actors who are single fathers. The actor’s single father status is based on his past relationship, the actor is noted to have had a son, Emem Daniel Mokeme, who was born many years back to Chidi and his previous girlfriend, a journalist named Adia Ukoyen.
However, things changed for the actor when he tied the knot to Dr. Jean Chinwe Olumba, on April 28, 2012. Together, they welcomed a son, Noah Mokeme in 2015. There has been a lot of social media debate on the status of his marriage since it’s reported to be long distance with his wife abroad, and the actor in Nigeria, all of which remain baseless speculations.
4. Too Sweet Annan
Toosweet Annan is a Ghanaian-Nigerian actor, model, fashion designer, film producer and entrepreneur. With over 50 movie acting credits and a large social media following, this Nollywood actor is on the fast track to becoming a major Nollywood star. According to reports by Legit NG, Too Sweet Annan has two daughters named Novanna, born on 15 May 2013, and Adriel, born on 28 April 2018. However, the identity of their mother remains undisclosed. In more recent developments, Toosweet Annan changed his status by tying the knot with his fiancée and media personality Msflava in a beautiful wedding ceremony in 2023.
5. Jim Iyke
Jim Iyke is a Nollywood veteran who is known for most of his old Nollywood roles alongside famous actresses such as Ini Edo. Jim Iyke started his acting career in 2001 and currently, he is one of the highest-paid actors in the Nigerian movie industry, and his most recent roles include Passport which he starred in alongside Mercy Johnson. The actor is known to be private about his personal life, which is why fans were surprised to learn that he is a father of three kids and divorced.
6. Ayo Makun
Nigerian Comedian Ayo Makun, popularly known as AY, is one of the most celebrated entertainers in the industry. He took the Nigerian comedic world by storm, and the Nigerian movie industry too. Unfortunately, this renowned entertainer is now separated from his wife, Mabel Makun. The pair were married for 15 years and together they have two children and are reportedly going through child custody battles.
7. Maleek Milton
Maleek Milton or should we say, Emeka Milton Alumona is a well-known Nigerian actor, businessman, and television personality who has played several roles in Nollywood movies including Battle of King, Drop of Tears, and so many others. This popular actor allegedly has a child with his lover and no record of being married.
8. Zubby Michael
Zubby Micahel began his acting career in 2006 and has gone on to become one of Nollywood’s most popular actors. Aside from his professional life, Zubby Micahel has a very exciting personal life with dating rumors swirling between him and certain co-stars. However, the actor has never been married but does have a son.
9. Bolanle Ninalowo
Bolanle Ninalowo is an icon in the Nollywood space, the actor has gained notoriety for his roles in shows such as Husbands of Lagos, and movies such as Picture Perfect. The actor’s rocky marital life has been put on blast on quite a few occasions, he was married to Bunmi Ninalowo and they had two beautiful children together. The couple initially split in 2019 over infidelity claims, and they got back together in 2021, ultimately deciding to split once again in 2023.
10. Tchidi Chikere
Tchidi Chikere Listen is a Nigerian movie director who is also a movie producer, scriptwriter, actor, music video director, and singer. He has had a very eventful life as far as his personal life goes. The actor has three sons with his first wife, actress Sophia Tchidi Chikere, and the marriage ended in 2012. He was also married to actress Nuella Njubigbo, with the traditional wedding ceremony taking place on March 29, 2014, and the white wedding on June 9, 2018. He has a daughter with Nuella and in 2021 speculations arose that the couple had separated. He reportedly announced his latest marriage recently.
11. Somadina Adinma
Somadina Adinma is a Nollywood star through and through, his roles in various movies have made him a favourite actor amongst many Nollywood fans. He is also known to have allegedly dated popular actress Regina Daniels. Aside from his dating life, Somadina Adinma is not married, he recently showed off his 1-year-old son, and the identity of the baby’s mother is yet to be disclosed.
12. Muyiwa Ademola
Muyiwa AdemolaListen also known as Muyiwa Authentic, is a Nigerian actor, film producer, and director. He has a long list of acting credits and awards to his name, thanks to his talent and dedication to the craft. Details on his personal life aren’t straight and narrow as far as public knowledge is concerned. The actor reportedly married a woman named Omolara Ademola on 23 June 2006, and they have three children together. He also has a set of twins outside wedlock, which makes him a father to five children.
13. Gbenro Ajibade
Gbenro Ajibade is another Nollywood actor who is a single father, the actor rose to fame through the hit series Tinsel which he starred in alongside Osas Ighodaro. Their love story began on the set of Tinsel, and you can read all the details here. The lovebirds tied the knot in 2015 and together they lived happily ever after until they got divorced in 2019 after giving birth to their daughter, Azariah.
14. Kunle Afolayan
Kunle Afolayan is known for creating some of the most historical and significantly impactful stories known to Nollywood. The renowned filmmaker and actor has a long list of movie credits, awards, and even a production company to his name. While his professional life is solid, his married life wasn’t the same. Afolayan married Tolu Afolayan in 2007, and they have four children together. Unfortunately, the record shows that their marriage ended in 2019.
15. Gideon Okeke
Gideon Okeke first gained fame by being one of the contestants in the first edition of Big Brother Nigeria, after that, he joined the cast of the popular series Tinsel, and his career has been on a high ever since. In 2019, Gideon Okeke married Chidera Uduezue and the pair both had two sons named Ezra and August. By 2022, rumors of a separation started to arise, and by early 2023, they had finalized their divorce, leaving both parents single. It is also alleged that Gideon Okeke has a daughter from a previous relationship.
16. Fred Amata
Fred Amata is a Nigerian actor, producer and director. This renowned actor will forever remain an icon thanks to some of his most memorable and iconic roles in Nollywood movies. In 2005, Fred Amata got married to Agatha Amata, who is also known for a talk show called Inside Out. However, they called it quits on their marriage even though they have two children together, Oreva and Stephanie. Fred Amata spoke out recently against his ex-wife, Agatha, and the role she had to play in his absence from his daughter’s wedding. To add more drama to that, former beauty queen and Nollywood actress Ibinabo Fiberesima posted a viral photo of her and Fred Amata, tagging him as her “pikin papa” which translates to her baby daddy, as they both share a daughter.
17. Yomi Gold
Yoruba actor and producer Yomi Alore, known as Yomi Gold, has made a name for himself in the Nollywood industry, but he’s yet another one of the Nollywood actors who are single fathers. In January 2023, the actor announced his separation from his wife, Ameenat Abisola, also known as Meenah. The couple got married in 2022 and welcomed their child into the world. This isn’t Yomi Gold’s first failed marriage, his first union, with Victoria Ige, ended after 15 years and two children.
18. Patrick Doyle
Patrick Doyle is a legendary actor who was married to the equally legendary actress, Ireti Doyle. The pair had years of history together and shared six children as well. The famous presenter and actor is rumored to have already remarried.
19. Damola Olatunji
Actor, Damola Olatunji was married to a fellow actress Bukola Awoyemi, also known as Arugba, until they decided to separate and end their marriage because of issues of infidelity. They had two children together and put the welfare of the kids in the forefront during their split.
20. Chris Attoh
Chris Attoh is Ghanian but still a Nollywood actor through and through, he starred in Tinsel and somehow found love along the way with famous Nollywood actress Damilola Adegbite. They got married in 2015 and got divorced in 2017. Their son, Brian Nii Ayittey Olaferomi Attoh, was born in September 2014 and they remain cordial to co-parent.
21. Kalu Ikeagwu
Kalu Ikeagwu has had his fair share of drama, both in movies and in his real life. The Nollywood star was married to Ijeoma Eze, with whom he shared a child and a stepchild from his wife’s previous relationship. The pair split up and Kalu Ikeagwu told the court that Ijeoma refused him sex after giving birth to their child, and also left their matrimonial home, taking the kids along with her. The couple was married for six years.
22. Basketmouth
Bright Okpocha, better known by his stage name Basketmouth, is a Nigerian comedian and actor. In November 2010, Basketmouth married his longtime girlfriend Elsie Uzoma Okpocha; they have three children together. In December 2022, Basketmouth announced via his official Instagram account that he and his wife were getting a divorce after twelve years of being married.
23. Julius Agwu
Julius Agwu is a Nigerian stand-up comedian, actor, singer and MC. The popular actor and comedian confirmed his split from his wife, Ibiere, stating that she was tired of the marriage. The pair had two children together.
24. Chinedu Emmanuel
Chinedu Ani Emmanuel, popularly known as Nedu, is a Nigerian radio personality, broadcast journalist, TV presenter, actor, comedian, and content creator. The famous actor and TV presenter had a rocky time during the split from his wife because he faced a paternity saga which led to the discovery that his first child with his wife was not his. Nedu married Uzoamaka Ohiri in 2013, but their marriage ended in 2018. The couple had three children together.
25. Emeka Ike
Emeka Ike is a Nollywood actor known for so many of his roles, and there was a time when the actor was a single father. His first marriage to a woman named Suzanne ended in 2015 and they had four children together. Years after they divorced, he remarried a woman named Yolanda Pfeiffer, and they have a daughter named Chidera Comfort Thando ike.
26. Segun Arinze
Segun Arinze captivated hearts with his various Nollywood roles, the actor has a knack for delivering stories and characters. The actor once revealed that all six of his children are from different women, including one from his ex-wife, Ann Njemanze. He ended up married to a woman called Julie, and they have kids together.
27. Femi Adebayo
Nollywood actor Femi Adebayo has earned a lot of awards for his numerous titles. The actor married Omotayo Adebayo on October 9, 2016. Adebayo and his wife have one son. Before that though, he also had three children from an earlier marriage to Khadijat Adebayo, it took him 8 years after the end of his first marriage to find love again, meaning he was a single father for a while.
28. Femi Branch
Femi Branch is popular in the Nollywood industry for certain action and thriller roles, the actor was first married to Ibitola Owasanoye for 10 years till they split in 2016. The couple had two kids, but he didn’t stay single for a long time as he is now on his third wife.
29. Yul Edochie
Yul Edochie is a Nollywood actor and politician who has been in the Nollywood industry for years. While he may not technically be a single father, Yul Edochie’s rocky marital relationship has been put on blast several times. The actor was married to May Aligwe and has three sons and a daughter. To the surprise of fans, on 27 April 2022, the actor revealed that his fellow actor, Judy Austin, is his wife and they have two sons, and there’s a lot of speculation revolving around his distance from his four kids from his previous relationship.
30. Nonso Diobi
Nonso Diobi is a popular Nollywood actor who has been in a lot of Nollywood movies. While the actor likes to keep his personal life private, there have been speculations and an alleged confirmation from the actor himself about the birth of his child in 2019. There have been no confirmations on the identity of the child’s mother, so it’s safe to say that if the sources are right, Nonso Diobi is a single father.
31. Saheed Balogun
Saheed Balogun is a veteran Yoruba actor, this leading man has had quite the journey in terms of marriages. His first marriage was to Sherifat, his second to actress Fathia Williams, and his third marriage was to Funke Tayo Sofowora. However, before he finally married his third wife, the actor already had two children from his first wife and another two with Fathia Williams, this fact alone means he was a single father at some point in his personal life.
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