Nigeria is a beautiful country rich in talent, culture, tradition, and moral values. However, alongside those magnificent traits also come the stigmatization and discrimination, which are mainly fueled by cultural and religious fanaticism, of certain groups of people in society. One such group is women who could be considered “ripe for marriage” who are unmarried.
Several factors can influence the marital status of any individual. In Nigeria, the criteria’s for the solidification of one’s womanhood is the ring on her finger, the ability to tie double wrappers in certain cultures, and the flex of picking up the phone and saying ‘Hello, Ọkọ mi’.
Single women, despite talent, are often looked down on and have their achievements walked over because they do not have a partner. But in Nollywood, this rhetoric has been ferociously challenged.
This article spotlights a list of trailblazing women who have continued to shatter glass ceilings while unmarried.
1. Nancy Isime
Nancy Isime, born December 17, 1991, is a talented actress, model, and host of the self-titled talk show The Nancy Isime Show.
The current 33 year-old entertainment industry groundbreaker has been rumored to have dated fellow industry star, actor Zubby Micheal and singer Reminisce.
In 2021, in an interview on TVC’s Wake Up Nigeria, when asked if she had time for men since she had a busy schedule, the actress responded, “I don’t have time for guys.”
Although she has a very vibrant personality, Nancy has kept her private life private throughout her career and at the moment, the 33 year-old is currently unmarried.
2. Bimbo Ademoye
An actress, comedian, and content creator, Bimbo Ademoye, is a creative Nollywood personality and a trendsetter in the entertainment industry.
Born on the 4th of February 1991 and presently 34 year-old, Bimbo’s relationship status has been mostly speculated but with one character in repetition—Timini Egbuson. She has acted in several romantic films with the actor, which has made fans suspect that beyond the screenplay, there could be a love story cooking.
Despite the rumors, the actress is unmarried and hasn’t confirmed any relationships publicly.
3. Destiny Etiko
Born on 12 August 1989, Destiny Etiko is a prolific actress and brand ambassador. She came onto the acting scene in 2013 and has been featured in multiple Nollywood movies.
Currently, the 33 year-old actress is unmarried. She claims one of the major reasons she’s single is because she does not want to make the same ‘mistake’ as her mother who put her career on hold to nurture her family.
Her relationships have remained undisclosed, and she has no children yet.
4. Rachel Okonkwo
Rachel Okonkwo was born on the 26th of May, 1987. Popularly known as Nkoli Nwa, she joined Nollywood in 2007 and started acting as a child actress. Her big break in the industry came in 2014 when she played the lead role, Nkoli in “Nkoli Nwa Nsukka.”
The 37 year-old actress stirred rumors of her marriage when she posted pictures of her in a wedding dress, getting married to one of her colleagues in the industry on social media. She later debunked the stories, clarifying that it was a scene from her movie and the post was for the promotion of the film.
Currently, Rachel is unmarried and has not confirmed any new relationships.
5. Luchy Donalds
Luchy is an award-winning Nollywood actress and model. She joined the industry in 2015 and had her first debut The Investigator which was released in the same year, catapulting her to the spotlight. She has since featured in over 150 films and she still continues to set the bars high, creatively contributing to, and shaping the global perception of Nollywood.
Born on 28 May, 1991, Luchy is presently 33 years old. Her relationship partners have mostly been kept away from the public eye but the actress is currently single.
Although she’s unwedded, back in 2020 in a now deleted post, Luchy took to her Instagram page to brag about her boyfriend, who gifted her N10 million. The actress has also been rumored to be dating her colleague Stephen Odimgbe but nothing has been confirmed.
At the moment, Luchy Donals is unmarried and has no children.
6. Linda Osifo
Actress and TV host, Linda Osifo, was born on the 27th of July, 1991. She began acting in the early 2010s and made her debut in 2012 in the movie Family Secrets, directed by Ikechukwu Onyeka and featured in her first Nollywood movie King Akabueze in 2013.
The 33 year-old is unmarried. Even though she has kept the identities of her relationship partners undisclosed, in 2023 in an appearance on the ‘Me, Her, and Everything’ podcast, Linda shared that she had just gone through a breakup.
She said: “The job is very hectic, and trust issues will always come in. People just don’t understand why a girl like you is still out by 2am shooting a movie. “Why are you shooting a movie?” That’s what comes with the field. You just have to do what you really love doing.”
Ahead of her 33rd birthday in 2024, the actress shared a post on IG asking fans to not disturb her with marriage questions. She captioned the post: “”When you’re turning 33 and they’re saying you’ve not married or have kids yet. 33 loading!! Make no body pressure me!..I’m on my lane! Double 3! Double dose”.
7. Mary Lazarus
Mary Lazarus, a notable Nigerian actress and movie producer, was born on the 5th of May, 1989. She has been nominated for different awards and in 2018 won the City People Movie Award for Most Promising Actress of the Year at the City People Entertainment Awards.
Currently 35 years old, the actress is unmarried and throughout her career has maintained the privacy of her relationships.
8. Mary Igwe
Born January 10, 1987, Mary Igwe is a talented actress who gained recognition in the industry for her role in the movie A Trip To Dubai. She has featured in multiple movies like American Husband, The Right Choice, and Heart Ripper.
Due to her romantic roles in different movies, a lot of rumors circulate the internet concerning her relationship status, but the 38 year-old has kept her relationship affairs non-public.
She is not married and has not confirmed being in an active relationship with anyone, nollywood star or non-celebrity.
9. Beverly Naya
35 year-old British born Nigerian actress, Beverly Naya, is an elegant creative in the Nollywood space. She began acting at age 17, has been featured in numerous movies and won different awards including the Best of Nollywood Awards’ Most Promising Talent in 2019.
Beverly has been rumored to have been in different relationships — one of the loudest being her rumoured plans to marry Nollywood star Adeolu Adefarasin.
Those plans clearly didn’t finalise as Adeolu is now married to Alicia.
Beverly is currently unmarried and despite that, she continues to be a creative powerhouse in Nollywood.
10. Lizzy Gold
Nollywood actress and model Lizzy Gold Onuwaje, born on October 12, 1987, joined the movie industry in 2012 and since then has continued to excel in the field, solidifying herself as a standout figure.
The actress who is currently 37 years old is unmarried but has a child.
In a post on her Instagram story last year, she stated that she has never been married but intends to get married in the future. She said she’s waiting to ensure that when she gets married, it’d be “till death do us part”.
In an interview with Vanguard in 2022, she shared that the reason why she didn’t marry her baby daddy is because she wasn’t physiologically ready for it at that time.
