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‘Add good wife and children’ — Burna Boy's mum makes plea to the singer as he turns 35

Burna Boy with his mother, Bose Ogulu
Burna Boy's mother, Bose Ogulu, urged the singer to get a wife and have children during his 35th birthday celebration. Here's what Burna Boy has previously said about marriage.
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  • Burna Boy's mother, Bose Ogulu, urged him to "add good wife and children" while he was making a birthday wish during his 35th birthday celebration.

  • The moment quickly went viral, with many fans reacting to the exchange between the singer and his mother.

  • Burna Boy has previously said he won't get married or have children until he can be fully present for his family, citing the demands of his career.

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Burna Boy turned 35 on July 2, and while the celebration was intimate, surrounded by close friends and family, one moment from the night has since gathered more attention online.

In a clip shared on Snapchat by one of his associates, Richie 7, his mother and longtime manager, Bose Ogulu, interrupted his birthday wish to slip in an addition.

Burna Boy with his mother, Bose Ogulu
Burna Boy with his mother, Bose Ogulu

"I wish for good health and prosperity," the singer said when prompted to make a wish.

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His mother's response was immediate: "Add good wife and children."

The clip has since circulated widely, partly because it captures something rarely seen, Mama Burna, the sharp business mind widely credited with steering one of the most successful careers in Afrobeats' history, stepping briefly out of the manager role and into something far more familiar: a Nigerian mother nudging her son toward settling down.

It also landed with weight, given what Burna Boy has said publicly on the subject.

In an interview in 2024, the singer explained that his decision to remain unmarried and childless was a deliberate one, tied directly to the demands of his schedule. He said he had no interest in having children outside of wedlock, and even less interest in bringing children into a life where he could not be fully present for them.

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"When I'm settled, and I can be there for my children every day, every single minute of every day, every second," he said at the time, describing the standard he had set for himself before starting a family.

Burna Boy is one of the most-streamed African artists of all time on Spotify | Credit: Instagram
Burna Boy is one of the most-streamed African artists of all time on Spotify | Credit: Instagram

At 35, Burna Boy's career shows no signs of slowing down. His eighth studio album, No Sign of Weakness, released in July 2025, featured collaborations with Travis Scott, Mick Jagger, Stromae, and Shaboozey, and earned him yet another Grammy nomination, his fifth consecutive, a record for a Nigerian artist.

He has been romantically linked to American singer Chloe Bailey since late 2024, with the relationship speculated to be confirmed publicly in February 2025 following a Valentine's-themed dinner date in Lagos.

Whether his mother's birthday request will be heeded any time soon remains, for now, between Burna Boy and whoever he chooses to make that wish with.

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