Valentine鈥檚 Day is around the corner, and while I, a proud single pringle, have no reason to stress over gifts or dinner reservations, I can鈥檛 help but wonder how some of my favourite Nollywood couples are celebrating.
From whirlwind romances to chaotic love triangles, Nollywood has given us couples that make us believe in love鈥攁nd others that make us grateful for our single lives. So, in the spirit of love (and premium gist), here鈥檚 my wild guess at how these iconic duos are spending their Valentine鈥檚 Day.
Adina and Adil from Big Love
Adil (Timini Egbuson) and Adina (Bimbo Ademoye) have been running on vibes and caffeine, juggling work, parenting little Jayden, and trying not to fall asleep mid-conversation. So, for Valentine’s Day, they鈥檙e keeping it simple鈥攋ust a quiet weekend staycation at a resort in Ibadan, far from deadlines and diaper duty.
Adil, ever the observant lover boy, surprises Adina with a bracelet she once admired but pretended she didn鈥檛 want (rookie mistake鈥攈e clocked it). Meanwhile, Adina, never one to be outdone, hands him a little box. He鈥檚 expecting cufflinks or maybe a love note. Instead, he finds a pregnancy test. Positive.
Happy Valentine鈥檚, Baba Ibeji.
Aiyetide and Obinna from This Lady Called Life
Obinna (Efa Iwara) knows the way to Aiyetide鈥檚 (Bisola Aiyeola) heart is through food, so for Valentine鈥檚, he books a private tasting with her favourite chef, where they spend the evening indulging in an array of dishes that make her do a little happy dance after every bite.
The gifts? Thoughtful as ever. He surprises her with that high-end pan she鈥檚 been side-eyeing for months, and she hands him the fancy equipment he鈥檚 been raving about like a kid in a gadget store.
Afterward, they sway under the moonlight, whispering sweet nothings鈥攗ntil the fatigue of adulting kicks in. They retreat inside for a cozy movie night, but somewhere between pressing “play” and finding the perfect cuddle position, Netflix becomes background noise, and sleep wins the night.
Amaka and Afamefuna from Afamefuna: An Nwa Boi Story
Afamefuna (Stan Nze) starts the day strong鈥攂reakfast in bed and a living room drowning in Amaka鈥檚 (Atlanta Bridget Johnson) favourite flowers. Romantic guy.
For dinner, he takes her out, thinking he鈥檚 planned the perfect date. But problem鈥攕he doesn鈥檛 like nkwobi. Now he鈥檚 watching her pick at the food while eyeing his own plate in regret.
To make up for it, he goes full Igbo big-boy mode and orders ten designer bags from his guy in Aba. Love language? Import and export.
Amanda and Goch from Loving Amanda
Amanda (Teniola Aladese) and Goch (Blossom Chukwujekwu) decide that this year鈥檚 Valentine鈥檚 gifts will be all about words鈥攏o fancy presents, just heartfelt messages.
Goch, ever the romantic, fills the house with little notes listing all the reasons he loves Amanda. Cute, right? But as she picks them up, she stumbles on a few very detailed, very instructive ones.
Next thing you know, their Valentine’s Day turns into an intense, sweaty, chest-to-chest session that leaves those love notes scattered on the floor for entirely different reasons.
READ: 25 of the Best Nollywood Romance Movies to Watch This Valentine鈥檚 Day
Anna and Elijah from Breath of Life
Elijah (Chimezie Imo) and Anna (Genoveva Umeh) start their Valentine鈥檚 Day by volunteering for community work, because love, for them, is about giving back.
Later that night, the gifts come out. Anna surprises Elijah with an old Bible she found, filled with his father鈥檚 handwritten notes. He, ever the thoughtful one, gives her a necklace with the date they met engraved on the back.
Feeling the moment, Elijah tries to move to Anna. But Anna, ever steadfast, smiles and reminds him that God鈥檚 love is the greatest鈥攖hen gently suggests they round up the night at church instead.
Hankuri and Dimeji from Love Is War
Dimeji (Richard Mofe-Damijo) and Hankuri (Omoni Oboli) are both too busy running the political game to actually spend Valentine鈥檚 Day together. So, they send each other gifts that take them back to when they were younger鈥攏ostalgic, sweet, and full of history.
Dimeji promises a proper dinner for a later date, but the real show begins when he returns home. Picture this: he pulls up in a campaign bus, megaphone in hand, leading a chorus of party members loudly singing love songs at the top of their lungs. Politics? Sure. Romance? Very much alive.
Isoken and Kevin from Isoken
The day kicks off with Kevin (Marc Rhys) sending Isoken (Dakore Egbuson-Akande) a bouquet of flowers to her office, complete with a handwritten note that makes her smile more than she cares to admit.
For their date, they keep it simple but sweet鈥攑icnic under the stars. Kevin, being the thoughtful guy he is, gifts her a mini gramophone loaded with all her favourite old-school tunes.
Isoken, absolutely vibing to the music, can鈥檛 help but dance with excitement鈥攖hough she almost stops mid-twist and asks, 鈥淲here are the Naija 2000 classic hits?鈥 Because, let’s face it, a picnic isn’t complete without a little 2Baba.
Kaima and George from Fine Wine
George (Richard Mofe-Damijo) knows the way to Kaima鈥檚 (Ego Nwosu) heart is through books and wine. So, for Valentine鈥檚, he gifts her a signed first edition of her favourite book and a bottle of wine he personally made with ingredients that remind him of her. Extra points for thoughtfulness.
Kaima, never one to be outdone, surprises George with a spontaneous day trip to Italy. They spend the day wine tasting, struggling to pronounce “gelato” in the most dramatic bad accents, all while gossiping about their miserable, single friends in Lagos. Because nothing says romance like being a little extra while enjoying the finer things in life.
Kemi and Tunde from Flower Girl
Tunde (Blossom Chukwujekwu) has the sweetest Valentine鈥檚 Day plan for Kemi (Damilola Adegbite). He takes her to a mini garden he鈥檚 carefully cultivated with all her favourite flowers. Blindfolded, Kemi is led to the surprise鈥攗ntil they arrive, and Tunde鈥檚 heart almost skips a beat. Unknown goats have eaten half of the garden! Talk about a plot twist.
Kemi, ever the calming presence, tells him not to worry. They ditch the flowers and settle in to watch their favourite movie instead. She gifts him a watch with a funny inside joke engraved on it.
But Tunde? He spends the rest of the night mumbling under his breath, wishing he could find those goats and show them the opposite of love. Maybe next Valentine’s, he鈥檒l add a goat-proof fence to the list.
Ope and Deji from Royal Hibiscus Hotel
Deji (Kenneth Okoli) pulls out all the stops for Valentine鈥檚 by whisking Ope (Zainab Balogun) away to Paris. The entire trip is basically an excuse to eat everything in sight and then hide in their hotel room, indulging in good food and even better company. Deji, being the thoughtful (and slightly cheeky) boyfriend, creates a recipe book of all her favourite dishes鈥攖hough let鈥檚 be real, after they return to Lagos, his cooking skills might be limited to Indomie.
They take a leisurely walk through the City of Love, snapping a few selfies. But in true Nollywood fashion, the romantic vibe gets interrupted when a thief snatches Deji鈥檚 phone mid-selfie. Ah, Paris鈥 always full of surprises. At least they still have each other鈥攁nd a solid recipe book.
