Popular gospel singer Nathaniel Bassey has revealed why he refused to monetise his viral Hallelujah Challenge on YouTube, despite claims that the online worship event could have generated over N1 billion in revenue.
Speaking during one of the live sessions of the ongoing challenge, the Imela crooner said his decision not to monetise the event was based on divine instruction.
“People are dragging me because I didn’t monetise my YouTube channel for the Hallelujah Challenge. I won’t monetise it, God didn’t tell me to,” he said.
Nathaniel Bassey also expressed concern over individuals who have allegedly created fake accounts to rebroadcast his live sessions for profit.
“There are people that now join the Hallelujah Challenge on fake pages. Some criminals take the feed from my page and air it just to make money,” he added.
The Hallelujah Challenge, which began in 2017, is a month-long midnight worship session that brings together thousands of Christians across the world via Instagram and YouTube. Over the years, it has become one of Africa’s most popular online worship movements.
While many have debated the financial potential of the programme—estimating that monetising it could earn Nathaniel Bassey over ₦1 billion due to its massive global following—the gospel singer insisted that the challenge was never about money but about obedience to God’s directive.
Nathaniel Bassey is known for several gospel hits including Onise Iyanu, Olowogbogboro, and You Are God.
