Renowned gospel singer and worship leader, Nathaniel Bassey, has revealed that he refused to monetise his viral Hallelujah Challenge on YouTube because he received a divine instruction not to do so.
Speaking during a live session of the ongoing midnight worship event, Bassey said he had come under criticism from some individuals for not activating YouTube ads despite the platform’s massive global reach.
“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,” the ‘Imela’ crooner said.
He expressed concern that fake pages had begun rebroadcasting the Challenge to make money from his ministry, describing the act as exploitative and ungodly.
“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 lamented.
The Hallelujah Challenge, which began in 2017, is a month-long midnight praise and worship session that gathers thousands of believers from across the world on Instagram and YouTube. It has since grown into one of the most popular Christian online events in Africa, often trending globally during its run.
While some fans have estimated that monetising the Challenge could generate over ₦1 billion in ad revenue, Bassey insists that the programme is not about money, but about obedience and worship.
“The Hallelujah Challenge is a move of God, not a business idea. My decision not to monetise it is simply obedience to divine instruction,” he affirmed.
