Nollywood's 10+ best on screen couples and why everyone loves them
Nollywood's best on-screen couples, such as Ramsey Nouah and Genevieve Nnaji, Desmond Elliot and Rita Dominic, as well as, Sonia Uche and Maurice Sam, have shaped how love and family are portrayed on screen. Others like Olu Jacobs and Joke Silva and Banky W and Adesua Etomi-Wellington have ended up in real-life relationships and marriages.
Source: Instagram
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Key takeaways
- Nollywood's best on-screen couples who stole our hearts
- 1. Nkem Owoh and Patience Ozokwor
- 2. Ramsey Nouah and Genevieve Nnaji
- 3. Ini Edo and Kenneth Okonkwo
- 4. Funke Akindele and Falz
- 5. Olu Jacobs and Joke Silva
- 6. Banky W and Adesua Etomi-Wellington
- 7. Desmond Elliot and Rita Dominic
- 8. Frederick Leonard and Peggy Ovire
- 9. Sonia Uche and Maurice Sam
- 10. Ray Emodi and Ebube Nwagbo
- 11. Ekene Umenwa and Flash Boy
- Who is the best on-screen couple in Nollywood?
- Is Frederick Leonard still married to Peggy Ovire?
- What is the relationship between Patience Ozokwor and Nkem Owoh?
Key takeaways
- Some of Nollywood's classic couples include Nkem Owoh and Patience Ozokwor and Olu Jacobs and Joke Silva.
- Couples like Funke Akindele and Falz, Ray Emodi and Ebube Nwagbo, and Ekene Umenwa and Flash Boy are more modern versions of Romeo and Juliet.
- Some on-screen pairings have transformed into real-life marriages, seen in couples such as Frederick Leonard and Peggy Ovire, as well as, Banky W. and Adesua Etomi-Wellington.
Nollywood's best on-screen couples who stole our hearts
We strive to provide factual and accurate information. While this list does not conclusively cover all on-screen couples in Nigeria, it includes the most notable figures in the industry, whose collaborations span genres, from comedy and romance to drama.
On-screen Nollywood couple | Most notable film |
Nkem Owoh and Patience Ozokwor | Ukwa, Osuofia's Wife |
Ramsey Nouah and Genevieve Nnaji | Power of Love |
Ini Edo and Kenneth Okonkwo | World Apart |
Funke Akindele and Falz | Everybody Loves Jenifa |
Olu Jacobs and Joke Silva | The Kingmaker |
Banky W and Adesua Etomi-Wellington | The Wedding Party |
Desmond Elliot and Rita Dominic | Lovers Creek |
Frederick Leonard and Peggy Ovire | Odogwu |
Sonia Uche and Maurice Sam | Love Me or Not |
Ray Emodi and Ebube Nwagbo | Two Sides of Love |
Ekene umenwa and Flash boy | Love and Crime |
1. Nkem Owoh and Patience Ozokwor
Source: Twitter
Nkem Owoh is a veteran Nollywood actor known for his long-term on-screen partnership with Patience Ozokwor. Both actors have bagged one African Movie Academy Award win each and multiple nominations.
After co-starring in the 1999 comedy Ukwa, the pair helped anchor an era of Nollywood comedy and family drama alongside each other. Some of their films include Old Enemies, Tit for Tat, Eliza, The Wicked Troublesome Wife, Mr. Trouble, and The Evil at Home.
2. Ramsey Nouah and Genevieve Nnaji
Source: Facebook
Ramsey Nouah and Genevieve Nnaji are regarded as Nollywood's golden couple, partnering in numerous romantic classics. Their connection began in the early 2000s with Power of Love.
Later, they co-starred in Passion and Pain, Beauty of Love, True Love Never Dies, Passion for You, and Weekend Getaway. In an exclusive Interview on Golden Icons, Ramsey told Emma Emmerson,
Jenny is a very cool girl in so many ways. She's like really, really cool, and she's also the hottest chick on the block when it comes to (looks). But, I mean no. We were just professionally more linked than emotionally in any way, like there were no emotional attachments.
He added,
We were more of a brotherly-sisterly kind of attachment than you know that thing that people wanted us to have so bad.
3. Ini Edo and Kenneth Okonkwo
Source: UGC
Like in most couples on this list of the best on-screen couples, what most Nollywood fans desired could not be further from the truth. Ini Edo and Kenneth Okonkwo shared and continue to have a purely professional relationship.
In 2004, they co-starred in one of their most popular romantic series, World Apart, a film that explored the challenges faced by couples with varying wealth gaps. Other films with the duo include The Demon In Her, My Wife's Secret Affair, The Royal She-Devil, Bloody Wealth, and The Occultic Man, among others.
4. Funke Akindele and Falz
Source: Instagram
I am Sege by name, Jenifa's boyfriend.
Funke Akindele and Falz's chemistry, seen through their on-screen chemistry, banter, and this quote from Everybody Loves Jenifa, has had fans in a chokehold.
The pair's on-screen history is centred around the Jenifa franchise, which includes Aiyetoro Town and Jenifa's Diary. In December 2004, a clip of Funke Akindele and Falz dancing during their film's premiere, Everybody Loves Jenifa, had fans second-guessing their romantic connections.
5. Olu Jacobs and Joke Silva
Source: Facebook
One can easily mistake Olu Jacobs and Joke Silva's love story as a Nollywood plot. The pair share a history of in theatre and film and are Nigeria's oldest acting couple.
The pair met during a management meeting for a Wole Soyinka-based play, Jero Metamorphosis, in 1981. Despite their twenty-year age gap and resistance from Joke's father, the couple's love determination won, and they got married in 1985. Today, Olu and Silva celebrate nearly four decades together.
In an interview on the Leadership Podcast with Stephen Akintayo, Joke stated plainly,
I was in love with him. As simple as that.
6. Banky W and Adesua Etomi-Wellington
Source: Facebook
Olubankole Wellington, a Nigerian rapper, actor, and businessman, and Adesua Etomi-Wellington met on the set of The Wedding Party in 2015. In November 2017, the Nollywood actors were wed in a lavish destination wedding in Cape Town, South Africa. The celebrity couple have two sons, Hazaiah Wellington, born in January 2021, and Zekiah Wellington, who was born in 2024.
7. Desmond Elliot and Rita Dominic
Source: Facebook
Desmond Elliot and Rita Dominic join the list of the best on-screen couples in Nollywood. The pair have starred as love interests in films such as Caught Up, Finding Mercy, My Love For Samantha, Angel of Love, and Finding Mercy.
8. Frederick Leonard and Peggy Ovire
Source: Facebook
Nigerian celebrity couple, Frederick Leonard and Peggy Ovire, have long shared an on-screen connection as lovers in films such as More Than a Wife, Odugwu Lifestyle, Love Like That, and Endless Love, among others. The pair began dating in 2015 and were in an on-again, off-again relationship until their nuptials in a traditional ceremony in Warri, Delta State, in November 2022.
9. Sonia Uche and Maurice Sam
Source: Facebook
For the younger generation of Nollywood fans, Sonia Uche and Maurice Sam may seem to be more than just acting partners. However, both actors have gone on record to confirm that their relationship is strictly professional. The pair has starred together in films such as Pains of Marriage, A Taste of Desire, When Love Found Me, and Secret Pregnancy.
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10. Ray Emodi and Ebube Nwagbo
Source: Instagram
Although they frequently play an on-screen couple in Nollywood movies, Ray and Ebube Nwagbo are not married and are not in a real-life relationship. The two have notable chemistry in films such as Two Sides of Love, Love Aside, and Selflessly Yours.
11. Ekene Umenwa and Flash Boy
Source: Facebook
Ekene Umenwa and Stephen Odimgbe, better known as Flash Boy, have collaborated on Nollywood films, with recent movie releases in 2024 and 2025, such as Love and Crime, Married to My Fine Brother, and Pathway of Mercy.
Although the pair are frequent co-stars, often taking on roles that make them one of the best on-screen couples, they are not married in real life. Ekene is married to a Nigerian filmmaker and realtor named Alex Ifeanyi Ogbodo.
Who is the best on-screen couple in Nollywood?
Couples frequently mentioned by fans as the couples with the best on-screen chemistry include Maurice Sam and Sonia Uche, Timini Egbuson and Bimbo Ademoye, and Olu Jacobs and Joke Silva.
Is Frederick Leonard still married to Peggy Ovire?
Despite allegations of infidelity and an impending divorce, Peggy Ovire and Frederick Leonard are still together. Reports from gossip channels, such as Quick View Spot, reveal that the couple reunited after a period of separation.
What is the relationship between Patience Ozokwor and Nkem Owoh?
The veteran actors are long-time acting colleagues and friends. They have both received high acclaim for their contribution to Nollywood since their first partnership in Ukwa.
Performances from Nollywood's best on-screen couples continue to define the emotional heartbeat of African cinema. With viewership from around the continent, couples such as Patience Ozokwor and Nkem Owoh have built a lasting legacy that modern actors emulate today.
Legit.ng has published an article ranking the wealthiest Kannywood actors. Like Hollywood, Kannywood, the second-largest genre in the Nigerian film industry, has become the number one destination for up-and-coming actors on the African continent.
The profession has been very profitable for only a select few, with the wealthiest actors enjoying large fan bases across the region. Read on for a net worth comparison for actors such as Yakubu Muhammad to Adam Zango and Naziru Sarin Waka.
Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
