Nollywood actor Daniel Etim-Effiong has revealed that he married his wife, Toyosi, shortly after his previous relationship ended when his ex-girlfriend turned down his proposal.
In a candid interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, Etim-Effiong shared that at the time, he was emotionally ready for marriage and had decided to leave behind casual dating. However, the woman he was with—who lived in South Africa and was not Nigerian—had other priorities.
According to the actor, his then-girlfriend declined his proposal, explaining that she planned to attend graduate school in the United States and wasn’t ready to settle down.
“I told her I was ready to get married,” he said. “But she wasn’t. She said she had plans for grad school and didn’t want to be ‘tied down’. I was disappointed because I had made up my mind to stop juggling multiple relationships. I was ready for something real.”
Shortly after that breakup, Etim-Effiong returned to Nigeria for a film project, where Toyosi, now his wife, was working as a production manager. Although they had spoken before, their paths fully crossed on that project, which turned out to be her first professional assignment after returning from New York.
“That’s when we really connected,” he said. “We had a long conversation, and I told her I was serious about marriage. She said, ‘Let’s do it.’ That was it.”
Etim-Effiong and Toyosi got married in November 2017, about a year after reuniting in Nigeria. The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter, in January 2019.
Their love story, shaped by timing, self-awareness, and mutual commitment, continues to inspire fans who admire their journey as a couple and as parents.
