Nathaniel Bassey becomes the first Nigerian gospel artist to surpass 400m streams on Spotify
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SUMMER
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Popular Nigerian gospel minister Nathaniel Bassey has surpassed 400 million streams across all credits on Spotify, making him the first Nigerian gospel artist to reach such a feat. The historic milestone comes after his Hallelujah Challenge in October, a global online worship movement.
According to The Debut Hub, a global music community, Natheniel Bassey reached the milestone on the platform on Tuesday evening, making him the 43rd Nigerian to surpass 400 million streams. He is also the first and leading gospel artist in Nigeria to attain such a height.
Nathaniel Bassey is reckoned with his in-depth spirituality insights that continue to position him as a leading gospel minister and one of Africa’s most influential in the gospel music space. Notably, he is famous for his worship songs such as Onise Iyanu, Adonai, Imela, Hallelujah Challenge, and Praise Medley, which have been inspiring millions of listeners globally.
Aside from his gospel music journey, Nathaniel Bassey is also popular for his annual Hallelujah Challenge, a global online worship movement that unites believers across nations in fervent one-hour praise and prayer. The 2025 edition was held from October 7th to October 31st, 2025.
For the gospel minister, the latest milestone is a testament to his contribution to spreading the gospel, which keeps listeners in check along their faith and spiritual journey. It further shapes the growing trajectory of the Nigerian gospel industry across international audiences.
In addition, the development comes amid the continuous rise of faith-based content by Nigerians. Recently, YouTube announced that Pastor Jerry Eze, a well-known minister, re-emerged as Nigeria’s highest-earning YouTuber and raked in billions of naira in revenue.
The development also shows how deeply religious and digitally connected Nigerians are. Over 50% of the population is identified as Christian, and the hunger for spiritual guidance has only intensified amid economic challenges. For Natheniel Bassey and others, their latest victory also reflects the continued surge of smartphone adoption and internet penetration.
Nathaniel Bassey’s Hallelujah Challenge
The Hallelujah Challenge started unexpectedly as an Instagram Live session from Nathaniel Bassey’s living room, which eventually drew tens of thousands of participants globally joining online to praise God. The Challenge was first held in 2017 from June 1 to June 30, 2017 and followed the #tongueschallenge.
The Hallelujah Challenge is a daily, one-hour online praise and prayer program hosted by Nathaniel Bassey. It takes place live on social media platforms and typically from 11:59 pm to 1:00 am, and is accompanied by a period of fasting and prayer.
The event, which is not for commercial purposes, according to Bassey, is a spiritual exercise aimed at connecting participants with God through worship and prayer. It was reported that Nathaniel Bassey rejected an estimated N1.4 billion in potential YouTube revenue by choosing not to monetise his channel, specifically for “Hallelujah Challenge”.
The overarching theme of the Hallelujah Challenge is “Olowogbogboro,” meaning “The One whose arms are broad or outstretched,” or “The outstretched arm of God”.
Nathaniel Bassey, despite his musical career, studied Politics at the University of Lagos and in London, while also pursuing music at Middlesex University Summer School.
