Veteran Nollywood actor, Chiwetalu Agu has urged young, single Nigerians not to prioritise virginity when choosing a life partner, insisting that character, not physical purity, should be the true foundation of marriage. 

Speaking in a video that circulated widely on social media, the actor explained that while virginity may represent a form of purity, it says nothing about a person’s ability to sustain a healthy, lasting relationship.

“Keeping your virginity does not automatically make you wife material. Don’t marry a woman simply because she is a virgin, and the same thing applies to men,” Agu said.

He extended the same caution to men, warning women against choosing husbands based solely on attributes like wealth, physical appearance or social status. “Don’t marry a man simply because he is a virgin, handsome, wealthy or successful. For the sake of your life, peace, happiness and sanity, choose someone whose character has been tested and proven,” he added.

The veteran actor stressed that virginity signifies purity but not loyalty, good character, emotional intelligence or emotional maturity, qualities he described as far more important in determining whether a marriage would last.

He urged intending couples to take the time to truly know each other, ask the right questions, and build their relationships on shared values rather than superficial qualities that fade with time.

Agu conceded that finding a partner who combines virginity with kindness, respect, emotional maturity and good character would be a rare blessing, but he maintained that character must always come first in the search for a spouse.

His comments have since sparked wide conversation online, with many Nigerians agreeing that lasting marriages are built on compatibility and emotional maturity rather than a single quality like sexual history.

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