The latter days of Christianity in Nigeria have seen pastors thrive in wealth and bask in the euphoria of diligently leading the body of Christ. Let’s check out the top 10 richest Nigerian pastors.
These days, tales of how pastors are being identified with everything related to being a pauper are now sounding outlandish as contemporary times have changed that sordid narrative.
Nigerian pastors now live in sheer affluence whilst wielding territorial influence outside of their spheres into politics, business, and other ventures.
Pastors are no longer seen as an impoverished miserable lot.
In stead of that general notion, pastors are now being criticized for being too wealthy and flamboyant at the expense of church members’ financial deposits and investments.
For providing spiritual solutions to the myriad of over 180 million people in Nigeria, these pastors are being paid in full and they make the job seem so lucrative that Christian exuberant youths now join the train of establishing churches at will.
ALSO CHECKOUT: Richest Pastors In The World
The ripple effect of this success by men of God is precipitating the daily rise of churches in Nigeria.
This article takes a dive into the top 10 richest pastors in Nigeria & their net worth, their churches which are the premier source of their wealth, and their other financial endeavors which constitute some eye-popping net worth.
Top 10 richest pastors in Nigeria 2023
- Bishop David Oyedepo Net Worth – $150 million
- Pastor Chris Oyakhilome Net Worth – $50 million
- Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye Net Worth – $39 million
- Prophet Temitope Babatunde Joshua Net Worth – $25 million
- Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo Net Worth – $20 million
- Pastor Chris Okotie Net Worth – $12 million
- Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Edeh Net Worth – $3.5 million
- Bishop Ayodele Oritsejafor Net Worth – $3 million
- Bishop Mike Okonkwo Net Worth – $3 million
- Lazarus Muoka Net Worth – $3 million
1. Bishop David Oyedepo Net Worth – $150 million
Occupying the number one spot as the richest pastor in Nigeria is the founder and presiding Bishop of Living Faith Church Worldwide with the alias Winners Chapel.
Bishop David Oyedepo is from Kwara State, Nigeria, and his position as the wealthiest pastor on this side of Africa is a laudable religious feat only that he cracked history to become the richest pastor in the world and left the rest of his home country stunned.
His ministry birth child – Winners Chapel International is one of the biggest in the country with over 500 branches across Nigeria and present in 45 African nations.
ALSO READ: Bishop David Oyedepo Biography
The church pioneered the usage of monumental worship centers in the country with its 50,000-capacity auditorium.
Presumably, the balance brought down in a single Sunday service here could rival the monthly revenue of some states in the world.
This auditorium according to the church is having a big brother soon as she plans to erect another 100, 000 seater capacity imposing worship center.
Bishop Oyedepo owns a private jet (Gulfstream 1) although media gossips claim he owns four of them which he has described as unfounded.
He is the pro-chancellor of Covenant and Landmark Universities.
He has authored several books through his own publishing company and makes no dime off the books.
He lives in a luxury mansion in Canaan city (the church’s community) and navigates around in pricey cars whenever he is not on his bird flying.
2. Pastor Chris Oyakhilome Net Worth – $50 million
This is one of Nigeria’s most contemporary gospel preachers leading the trail of the western religious status quo in the country with his rare teachings and unique accent.
At the start of the 21st century, his church became a new religious sensation in Nigeria sweeping across the nation and garnering an army of followers.
He started his ministry as a campus fellowship (Believers LoveWorld Fellowship) at Ambrose Ali University in his home state of Edo.
Pastor Chris is the founder and president of Believers LoveWorld Inc. a.k.a Christ Embassy. Christ Embassy is a household religious name in Nigeria and has over 13 million members globally.
ALSO READ: Chris Oyakhilome Biography
Pastor Chris owns a private jet, which was a gift from members of LoveWorld records, the music arm of his church.
His church owns a 24-hour satellite TV station amongst other TV channels around the world, a printing press, a record label, a social media platform, and a creative arts academy.
Pastors Chris oozes premium class and style, live in a white house, rides in exotic cars, and owns some real estate both locally and internationally.
3. Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye Net Worth – $39 million
Known for his laid-back pulpit life and humility, Pastor E.A Adeboye is the general overseer of the Redeemed Christian of Church (RCCG) and the second-richest pastor in the country.
The former University of Lagos senior lecturer of Mathematics is an indigene of Ifewara, Osun State Nigeria, and pastors the largest church in Nigeria in terms of population (about 5 million congregants) with an innumerable number of branches dispersed around the nooks and crannies of Nigeria.
After he became the general overseer of the RCCG in 1981, he inherited quite a few branches from the founder, Pa Akindayomi in Nigeria.
Today the RCCG is present in over 190 countries of the world.
Pastor Adeboye owns a private jet for ministry purposes and lives a not-so-flamboyant life, remember he is the father of humility.
The church runs its own university (Redeemers University), a TV station, printing press amongst other ministry endeavors.
The RCCG headquarters sits on a 44 hectares property called the redemption camp.
It is referred to as the largest city of God on earth.
The camp is the size of a large local government comprising of banks, hospitals, real estate, primary and secondary schools, shopping centers, and other urban infrastructure within its confines.
The camp is worth billions of naira.
4. Late Prophet Temitope Babatunde Joshua Net Worth – $25 million
Undoubtedly, Prophet T.B. Joshua is the most famous prophet in West Africa.
He is the founder of The Synagogue Church of All Nation (SCOAN) with its headquarters and only branch in Ikotun, Lagos, Nigeria.
He pastors a 15, 000 member congregation with the figure shared between Nigerians and foreigners from across Africa and the world.
The Ondo State-born prophet is known for his miracles and philanthropist which attracts thousands of international religious tourists every day to his Lagos, Ikotun base.
The prophet is super rich as his church boost the tourism industry of Nigeria receiving an average of over 2million visitors daily.
A Nigerian newspaper once reported that the Synagogue Church of all nations receives more visitors than the Buckingham Palace and the London Tower combined.
He owns Africa’s largest Christian TV Network known as Emmanuel TV which broadcasts 24 hours round the clock.
He has reportedly spent over $20 million on charity, a figure that’s about 90% of his average net worth.
5. Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo Net Worth – $20 million
Matthew Ashimolowo is the senior pastor of Kingsway International Christian Center (KICC) with its headquarters in London, United Kingdom.
It all started when he switched faiths from being a Muslim to a Christian at age 22.
He is a Nigerian of Yoruba descent and his church is the largest pentecostal church in London.
The KICC is also present in bounty sums in Nigeria and in other nations of the world.
In what seemed like a detour from the foursquare gospel church Nigeria, he founded the KICC London in 1992 and led the church to become the largest congregation outland of Nigeria where the white skin color is prevalent.
Pastor Matthew owns a private jet, a Media and Publication Company that publishes most of his prosperity-based literature (Matthew Ashimolowo media) and other strings of investment.
He reportedly earns about $200,000 as his yearly salary.
6. Pastor Chris Okotie Net Worth – $12 million
Chris Okotie is a Nigerian contemporary Pastor with a unique style of preaching in high-end dictions and vocabulary.
Chris Okotie is from Delta State, Nigeria, and is the founder and senior pastor of Household of God Church International, Lagos Nigeria.
First, he was a Nigerian secular pop artist well-famed in the ’80s for his great works, then he got the call to ministry.
Subsequently, he dumped his very successful music career and started the Household of God Church in 1987.
His church is one of the biggest in the city of Lagos and is well renowned as a worship center for most Nigerian celebrities of the Nollywood industry.
Pastor Chris is supercooled and lives in a lavish lifestyle.
He has a flair for luxury cars especially the pricey Rolls Royce which is one of the high prized exotic rides in his fleet.
Thrice has he gotten involved in politics vying for the presidency under the Justice and Fresh democratic party but has lost on all three attempts.
7. Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Edeh Net Worth – $3.5 million
The first catholic priest to enlist into the richest pastors list comes in the eminent persona of Rev. Fr. Edeh.
He is one of the most prominent and revered catholic priests in Nigeria.
He is from Enugu State, Nigeria.
Father Edeh as is famously known as an educationist and owns an educational conglomerate made up of Caritas University Enugu, Madonna University (In Rivers and the Anambra States), Madonna Secondary School(Elele Rivers State), Osisatech Boys Secondary School (Enugu State) and Aba Girls Secondary School (Enugu State).
Rev. Fr. Edeh is an astute investor cum priest of the Holy Ghost Congregation.
Asides from his educational institutions, he owns a couple of maternity hospitals, a full-fledged hospital, a special diagnostic center, a motherless baby home, a microfinance bank, and a manufacturing company.
He is the founder of a pilgrimage and peace reconciliation center known as the pilgrimage center of the Eucharistic Adoration in Elele, Rivers State.
8. Bishop Ayodele Oritsejafor Net Worth – $3 million
Known for his giant role in leading the body of Christ in Nigeria, Papa Ayo as he is fondly called is the Founder and General Overseer of Word of Life Bible Church, Warri, Delta State, Nigeria.
He was the National President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria from 2005 to 2010.
After handing over, he was then elected again as the president of the Christian Association of Nigeria which is the highest Christian body in Nigeria.
He held that position for two terms.
Papa Ayo is synonymous with wealth as he is one of Nigeria’s most affluent preachers with a private jet to fly around the world.
He also owns high-valued real estate investments, luxury cars, and properties worth millions in and outside the country.
He has received the many blessings of ministry for serving God in more than 3 decades.
From his Warri base where he is a native, he wields massive influence in the body of Christ through his leadership traits.
9. Bishop Mike Okonkwo Net Worth – $3 million
Bishop Mike Okonkwo is the founder and presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM) headquartered in Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria, and has numerous branches spread across the length and breadth of Nigeria.
He is from Ogbunike in Anambra State, Nigeria.
Bishop Mike is a father as far as the body of Christ is concerned in Nigeria.
After a failed attempt at fighting in the war front for the Nigerian army, he encountered God in 1970 after the truce and started The Redeemed Evangelical Church (TREM) in 1981.
He has been in ministry for over 40 years and still counting.
He mentors a multitude of young pastors and has a huge religious fan base.
He has held numerous leadership positions in the Nigerian Christian community such as the National Deputy President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) from 1995 to 1998.
In 1998 he became the President of the PFN and in 2003 he was elected the National Vice President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, a position he held till 2008.
10. Lazarus Muoka Net Worth – $3 million
Pastor Lazarus is a Nigerian pastor and healing prophet from Imo State, Nigeria.
He is the founder of the Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Ministries, Amuwo Odofin, Lagos, Nigeria.
His church rose to prominence right from its inception in 2000 attracting thousands of people from all around the country to his Lagos base to seek miracles.
ALSO READ: Lazarus Muoka Biography
This population surge forced the church to acquire more properties and expand its base.
The Lord’s chosen is one of the most famous churches in Nigeria with a massive presence in almost all major cities, towns, and villages in Nigeria.
Members of Chosen are known for their spontaneous and feral ways when it comes to displaying their passion for God in rallies and crusades.
They carry a very conspicuous presence wherever they go as they chant in songs and yell out their mantras.
Pastor Lazarus isn’t one of the pastors associated with a lavish lifestyle.
He is quite conservative when it comes to displaying assets and wealth.
He lives a simplistic life and acts sternly on divine instructions from God.