TB Joshua

TB Joshua, born on June 12, 1963, was a prominent Nigerian charismatic pastor and televangelist, renowned for his leadership of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN). This influential megachurch, based in Lagos, Nigeria, also operated the Emmanuel TV television station, which became a significant platform for his ministry.

Joshua gained widespread recognition across Africa and Latin America, amassing a substantial social media following, including over six million fans on Facebook. His YouTube channel, Emmanuel TV, was the most-viewed Christian ministry on the platform, boasting over one million subscribers before its suspension in 2021 due to alleged homophobic hate speech. Media outlets often referred to him as the 'Oprah of Evangelism' and 'YouTube's most popular pastor.'

Throughout his life, Joshua received numerous accolades, including the Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) from the Nigerian government in 2008. He was celebrated as the Yoruba man of the decade by Irohin-Odua and recognized as one of Africa's 50 most influential people by The Africa Report and New African Magazine. By 2011, Forbes ranked him as Nigeria's third-richest pastor, a claim that was promptly denied by his church.

Despite his significant contributions to religious outreach and humanitarian efforts, Joshua's life was not without controversy, including being blacklisted by the government of Cameroon in 2010. He passed away on June 5, 2021, just one week shy of his fifty-eighth birthday, following an evening service in Lagos. A BBC investigation in 2024 later reported various abuses associated with Joshua and his church.