ALTHOUGH it is their desire to get married, fame appears to have been one of their stumbling blocks, or it seems. While some have long... dating routines with the intention of getting married soon, others are single parents, hoping that as they grow older, they will accomplish the normal life ritual of holy matrimony.

With the numerous admirers - men and women – flocking around them for mostly platonic relationships, it becomes a long journey to marriage for some Nigerian actors and actresses, who are very eligible for the institution and who have the wherewithal to sustain it, reports FUNMI ELUGBAJU.

Funke Akindele

Funke Akindele used to be the girl next door with an OND in Mass Communication from Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, as a starter in Nollywood.

But all this changed when she took part in I Need to Know, a soap opera on students and AIDS.

Ever since, she has been playing it big in the movie industry and that has led her to produce the award-winning and most-talked about movie, Jenifa.

Although the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Law graduate is in a relationship, she is yet to sign the dotted lines.

Toyin Aimaku

She came into the movie industry as Bukky Wright's protege, but, that was back then.

Today, Toyin Aimaku is on her own. This actress, who has been making waves in the Yoruba movie sector, is in a serious relationship and once said she could leave acting for marriage. She is, however, still single.

Dakore Egbuson

She is an actress, who calls herself the “it” girl of Nollywood.

She was in movies, such as Emotional Crack, Dangerous Sisters with Genevieve Nnaji, Before the Sunrise and dozens of others.

She has won three Reel Awards, for top actors and actresses in the country.

Her characters are mostly strong women who are rich and stuck on themselves. Despite her awards, some say she does not have a wide acting range; that she is put in films more for her beauty than for her acting talent. Beautiful she is, as she has pretty eyes and lips and a lovely figure. She has dreadlocks which she says make her look African and she has been dating Olumide Akande, the son of multi-millionaire, Harry Akande.

They are yet to be married as a result of the insistence of Olumide's family that he should dump the actress, who is said to be head over heels in love with him.

Aki and Pawpaw

The duo, Osita Iheme, popularly known as Pawpaw and Chinedu Ikedieze, also known as Aki, are also in the league of those whose wedding invitations are being expected.

While Ikhedieze is a graduate of Mass Communication from the Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Enugu, Iheme is a student of Mass Communication at Enugu State University.

They are in their mid and late twenties respectively.

Although they have acted the role of children and adults that some of their fans sometimes mistake them for children.

The duo are not married, but they are seriously looking forward to the day it will happen as both of them are said to be in serious relationships.

Muna Obiekwe

Although he said he is not a ladies' man, it was speculated that he was romantically involved with a pretty actress, who recently signed the dotted line, but he claimed ignorance of such a relationship.

Muna Obiekwe and the actress have appeared in a good number of movies together and it was also rumoured that they have an undying chemistry.

The movies they both featured in include “Faces Of Beauty” and “Songs Of Solomon”, “He Lives in Me”, “Songs Of Sorrow”, “Enemies in Love”, “It's Juliet or No One” and “Wasted Effort”, amongst others.

This handsome young man is still very single and searching, we hear.

Benita Nzeribe

Benita told Nollywood in June 2005 that she was taking a break in her life after being treated unfairly by a man she loved dearly.

She added that she was a highly emotional person hence the need for her to build a fence round her fragile heart.

How long is this break going to take? She was asked then. She replied that “when God decides to show me a new direction. I have a heart, I will use it.”

Following that report, Benita received several advances from men, including those routed through Nollywood magazines.

Benita, who hails from Ihiala Local Government of Anambra State, is often referred to as the “bad girl” of Nollywood.

She says she is proud to be an African woman.

She is also a Mercedes Benz car freak, just in case any man cares?

Pat Attah

Pat Attah looks like an introvert, but has been often described as a woman beater.

Could this be the reason he is still single?

But handsome Attah described the rumour as ridiculous.

He denied ever dating the likes of Empress Njamah, who said she was battered by him and perhaps, too, Lillian Bach.

If anything, Attah agreed to have dated Genevieve Nnaji.

Whether she was also a victim, we never got Genevieve to say.

Attah, who got admission into the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) to read political science but left after a year, expressed his desire to go back and fulfill that dream of his life.

Bimbo Akintola

This beautiful actress once told those who cared to hear that she did not have a man in her life and that she was proud of it.

A diploma and Threatre Art degree holder from the University of Ibadan, Bimbo, a cross over actress, became popular for her seductive role in Richard Mofe-Damijo's Out of Bounds.

The sociable actress who hails from Ibadan, Oyo State, does not seem to believe in the African sentiment, concerning marriage, a reason she gave for why many young girls are forced into marriage without being emotionally ready.

She was once asked whether her high taste is the reason she has not found her choice of a man, she said: “My taste is not high, it's just that I haven't found Mr. Right. I like very plain, easy, nice people. Men with integrity, intellectuals, and I don't think I am asking for too much, because we have a lot of them in this country.”

Jim Iyke

Handsome Jim Iyke is still single.

The temperamental actor, who once dated actress Steph Nora Okere, and is also said to have dated Rita Dominic, which they have both denied, may not be in a hurry to settle down.

He is not known to be in any serious relationship although, he is associated with many women within and outside of the country.

Chidi Mokeme

The presenter of Nigeria's first Reality TV show, the Gulder Ultimate Search, is still single despite having fathered a seven-year-old son.

The Oba-born actor has been rumoured to have dated the likes of Helen Ukpabio, Stella Damasus- Aboderin, Stephanie Okereke and Eucharia Anunobi-Ekwu.

The 35-year-old hunk is another actor who is in no hurry to quit the bachelors club and is comfortable with his status.

Genevieve Nnaji

Genevieve Nnaji found mainstream Nollywood success in 1998.

In addition to her popularity as an actress, she is also known as a singer, producer and fashion designer.

In 2004, she became the face of Lux soap in a lucrative sponsorship deal worth N20 million.

In 2005, she released her first album, entitled No More, which was a flop, following a one year acting ban.

Genevieve is a single mother.

Uche Jumbo

Believe it or not, pretty Uche Jombo is currently one of the hottest actresses to look out for.

From a humble beginning, Uche, from Abiriba, Abia State, has risen to the zenith of her career with a lot of movies to her credit.

Interestingly too, Jombo, who is also a producer, is among the hottest spinsters in Nollywood.

Despite her late father's warning that she should not venture into acting, “very stubborn” Ucheobi Jessica Jombo, damned all consequences and gave her body and soul to Nollywood.

Oby Edozie

Obi Edozie is another screen diva, dazzling Nollywood with her acting prowess and sexy curves.

Standing at over six feet plus, Edozieh from Anambra State is no doubt a force to reckon with in the industry. Also from a humble beginning, the single and quietly searching star of several movies has been able to carve a niche for herself in the saturated industry.

Grace Amah

Hate or like her, one thing you can't take away from the petite Grace Amah is that she is a bundle of talent with a fan base, cutting across the nation's border.

Ebonyi State-born Amah, despite several setbacks, has been able to sail through the stormy weathers of Nollywood to maintain a top position. She is unarguably one of the faces to look out for in Nollywood this year. Moreover, her single status also gives her an edge.

Mercy Johnson

Mercy Johnson, the rave of the moment, would surely have a rollicking time this year.

Dark-skinned and busty Mercy from Kogi State, since her arrival a few years ago, has continuously proved that she is the hottest kid on the block with the many movie roles she has been grabbing from left, right and centre.

Besides being hot, single and daring, she has also been dubbed the most controversial up and coming actress.

Uche Iwuji

Her short-lived romance with Super Eagles and Everton of England rock solid defender – Joseph Yobo – is still fresh in the memory of her teeming fans.

Very controversial but quiet Uche is another top spinster in Nollywood.

She is very pretty and charming and time will surely tell as men are still queuing to occupy her heart.

Yvonne Jegede

Yvonne Jegede is another starlet to watch out for this year.

The Edo State-born Yvonne passionately combines beauty and brains, which is very rare among her contemporaries.

Since her wondrous appearance in Missing Angela a few years ago, she has not stopped occupying a front row in Tinsel town.

She is said to be single and searching.

Rita Dominic

Rita Dominic is not married despite having been in and out of a number of relationships.

The woman who shuns publicity remains single and is not known to be in any serious relationship at the moment.