Folabi Nuel

Afolabi Emmanuel Fagbemi, professionally known as Folabi Nuel, is a Nigerian gospel singer, songwriter, worship leader and recording artist whose music is rooted in contemporary worship and Christian gospel. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, he has developed a sound that combines intimate worship, soulful melodies and contemporary African influences. He is particularly known for songs such as “Yeshua”, “Good God”, “My Heart”, “Melody” and “God of Heaven”, as well as his live worship projects that have taken his music to audiences beyond Nigeria.

Folabi Nuel’s journey into music began in church, where he sang in the choir before discovering songwriting as a teenager. What initially served as a personal way of expressing his emotions gradually became a calling to write and lead worship. His music career moved into a professional phase in the mid-2010s, and his debut single, “God of Heaven”, gave him an early breakthrough on Nigerian gospel radio.

Over the years, Folabi has grown from an emerging Nigerian worship artist into an internationally active gospel minister. Now based in London, he has performed across Africa, Europe, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada, while collaborating with artists including TY Bello, Nosa, Limoblaze, Greatman Takit, Matt Redman and others. His signing with Integrity Music in 2024 marked another important stage in his international career.

Quick Facts

Early Life and Background

Folabi Nuel was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, and grew up in the church. Music became part of his life early through choir participation, but songwriting came later. In an interview with The Punch, he recalled beginning to write songs while he was in secondary school, initially using songwriting as a way to express his feelings and find comfort. He eventually began writing worship songs for his school fellowship choir and later started recording some of them.

His early experiences gave him a strong connection between music and worship. Rather than approaching songwriting simply as entertainment, he developed a habit of using music to communicate his understanding of faith and his personal experiences. That approach would remain central to his work as his career developed.

Folabi has also spoken about music being a form of personal expression. In describing his early musical memories, he recalled singing and writing songs with his brothers when they were children. These early experiences, combined with his involvement in church, helped establish the musical foundation that eventually led to his professional career.

Education

Folabi Nuel attended the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, in Ogun State, Nigeria, where he earned his bachelor’s degree. He later pursued an MBA in International Business at Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia in Spain.

His academic background is separate from the direction his professional life eventually took. While his education provided him with a formal background in university studies and business, music and ministry became the central focus of his public career.

How His Music Career Started

Folabi’s transition from church musician and songwriter to recording artist took place in the mid-2010s. His first major recorded release was “God of Heaven”, a song that quickly attracted attention on Nigerian gospel radio. The single reached number one on Rhythm 93.7 FM’s Holy Holla Top 5 gospel chart, giving the young artist an early indication that his music could reach audiences beyond his immediate church environment.

He followed the release with songs including “Everlasting” and “My Heart”, gradually establishing a catalogue built around worship and personal expressions of faith. His first studio album, Good God, arrived in 2017 and included collaborations with Nigerian musicians such as Florocka and Wole Oni. The project helped establish him as a recording artist rather than solely a worship leader.

Folabi’s early career was not without difficulties. He has spoken about receiving numerous rejections when he was starting out, particularly when seeking collaborations. With time, the situation changed as artists who had previously turned him down began approaching him for opportunities to work together.

Career and Breakthrough

Following Good God, Folabi continued to develop his identity around live worship and contemporary gospel. In 2020, he released Hunger: From Our Heart to Yours, a live worship project featuring artists including Nosa, TY Bello, Freke Umoh, Prospa Ochimana and Minister Kenn. The project became an important part of his catalogue, particularly through the song “Yeshua”.

“Yeshua” would become one of the defining songs of his career. Folabi has described the song as particularly meaningful because it emerged spontaneously during preparations for the live recording of Hunger. According to his Apple Music artist profile, he walked into rehearsals and began singing the song spontaneously before realizing that it needed to be recorded. He later identified it as his most-streamed song.

In 2022, he released Revival Is in the Air (RIITA), continuing his emphasis on worship and live musical expression. That year also brought a different side of his artistry through Bobibi, a project centered on romantic songs. Released around his wedding, the project included collaborations with Remii, Johnny Drille and Timi Dakolo and demonstrated that his songwriting extended beyond congregational worship.

Musical Style and Notable Releases

Folabi Nuel’s music is centered on contemporary worship, but his sound is not confined to one musical formula. His recordings move between intimate worship, gospel, soulful melodies and contemporary African sounds. His emphasis is usually on simple, memorable melodies and lyrics that communicate faith, gratitude, dependence on God and personal devotion.

His catalogue includes “God of Heaven”, “Good God”, “My Heart”, “In My Boat”, “Yeshua”, “Melody”, “He’s Alive”, “You Are Good” and “Glory on the Other Side”. Among these, “Melody”, featuring Limoblaze and Greatman Takit, became an important contemporary gospel collaboration and surpassed one million streams within its first year, according to Integrity Music’s announcement of his signing.

His 2020 live project Hunger: From Our Heart to Yours and 2022’s Revival Is in the Air established live worship as an important part of his musical identity. In 2025, he expanded that side of his work with Live from London, a 13-track live album featuring songs including “Good God”, “Dependable God”, “Yeshua”, “My Heart” and “Omemma”. The album was released under an exclusive license to Integrity Music Europe.

Major Collaborations and Recognition

Collaboration has played a major role in Folabi’s career. His work with Nigerian gospel artists has included Nosa, TY Bello, Limoblaze, Greatman Takit and others, while his international work has expanded through relationships with worship leaders such as Matt Redman and Israel Houghton. He also collaborated with Matt Redman on “Glory on the Other Side”, a song that later received a live acoustic treatment through Integrity Worship.

His career has also brought recognition outside Nigeria. He received nominations at the 2018 Beatz Awards and the Africa Gospel Music and Media Awards UK. More significantly, his growing international profile led to his signing with Integrity Music in September 2024. The signing positioned him within a global worship music network and reflected the increasing reach of his ministry beyond the Nigerian gospel scene.

Beyond recording and performing, Folabi has also used digital platforms for discipleship and devotional work. His YouVersion Bible Plan, In My Boat, has attracted more than 20,000 subscriptions, reflecting the wider spiritual focus behind his music ministry.

Personal Life

Folabi Nuel married his longtime friend, Gboremi, in September 2022. His wedding also became closely connected to his music career, as he released Bobibi around the occasion. Unlike his worship-focused recordings, the project explored love and relationships and offered listeners a more personal dimension of his songwriting.

He has generally maintained a relatively private approach to his personal life, keeping the focus of his public work on music, worship and ministry.

Current Career and Influence

Folabi Nuel is currently based in London and continues to work as a recording artist and worship leader with an increasingly international audience. His 2025 Live from London album represented a major expression of this international chapter, bringing together Nigerian and international musicians in a live worship setting. The project included collaborations with Becca Folkes, Areatha Anderson and Nosa.

His activity has continued into 2026 with releases including “Beautiful Exchange”, “Mo Wa Dupe (Reimagined)”, “Happy Song”, “I See the Lord (Live)” and “Praise You Again”. Apple Music lists “Praise You Again”, released in July 2026, as his latest release.

Folabi Nuel’s influence comes from the way he combines the intimacy of personal worship with the accessibility of contemporary gospel music. His songs often feel personal rather than distant, allowing listeners to connect with them as both worship expressions and reflections of everyday faith. From his early days singing in a church choir in Lagos to international stages and a global recording partnership with Integrity Music, his career reflects the growing reach of Nigerian worship music and the ability of contemporary African gospel artists to connect with audiences across cultures.