Sunmisola Agbebi

Sunmisola Agbebi, whose full name is Sunmisola Elizabeth Agbebi Okeleye, is a Nigerian gospel singer, songwriter and worship leader known for her expressive vocals, contemporary worship sound and deeply devotional approach to music. Born and raised in Lagos State, she began singing publicly as a child and gradually developed her gift through church music, competitions and worship ministry. Her music combines contemporary gospel with Yoruba-rooted worship and a strong emphasis on intimacy with God.

Agbebi came to wider attention with “Koseunti”, a 2022 song that became a major breakthrough in her career. The song, built around the declaration that God is able to do all things, introduced her to a much broader audience and established her as one of the emerging voices in Nigeria’s contemporary gospel scene. She subsequently strengthened her profile with songs such as “B’Ola”, “My Daddy, My Daddy”, “Aileyipada”, “Oba Ni” and “Yeshua”, while also becoming known for live worship recordings and collaborations with other gospel ministers.

Early Life and Background

Sunmisola Agbebi was born in Lagos State, Nigeria, and developed an interest in singing from a very young age. She has been reported to have performed publicly for the first time at the age of four. Her early involvement in church music gave her an environment in which she could develop both her voice and her interest in worship.

As she grew older, Agbebi participated in singing competitions and continued to serve in church music settings. One of the earliest recognitions of her talent came in 2017, when she won the Ikorodu Radio Music Challenge. The achievement gave her additional confidence and exposure as she began moving from being a young church singer toward a more serious musical career.

Her early experiences also shaped the worship-centred identity that would later become central to her music. Rather than approaching gospel music simply as a commercial genre, she has consistently presented singing as an extension of her Christian faith and ministry.

Education

Agbebi attended Sagab College in Ikorodu, Lagos, for her secondary education. She later pursued higher education at the National Open University of Nigeria.

Her academic development took place alongside her growing involvement in music. By the time she began releasing professionally, she had already accumulated years of experience performing in church and other Christian settings.

How Her Music Career Started

Agbebi’s professional recording career began in 2020 with the release of “Amazing”. The single introduced her to a wider audience and provided the first major recording platform for the sound she had been developing through years of worship and live performance. The song was released through EmPawa Africa and marked the beginning of her recorded music career.

The release was followed by a period of increasing visibility. While “Amazing” established her as a recording artist, it was her next major single that would transform her profile within Nigerian gospel music.

In February 2022, she released “Koseunti”. The Yoruba title is associated with the idea that there is nothing God cannot do, and the song was inspired by Jeremiah 32:27. Agbebi’s rendition combined a simple, memorable worship declaration with her powerful vocal delivery, allowing the song to connect strongly with Christian audiences.

Breakthrough and Career

“Koseunti” became the defining breakthrough of Agbebi’s early career. The song received significant attention within Nigeria’s gospel community and was subsequently included among YNaija’s 100 biggest Nigerian songs of 2022. Its success introduced Agbebi to listeners well beyond the audiences she had reached through church performances and earlier recordings.

Later in 2022, she organised her first major live recording concert, As It Is In Heaven, commonly known as AIIIH, at the Charis Event Center in Lagos. The event became an important part of her development as a worship minister because it allowed her to present her music in a live worship environment rather than relying solely on individual studio singles.

One of the most recognised moments from the event was her performance of “My Daddy, My Daddy” with Lawrence Oyor. The song was reworked for the live recording and became one of the releases most closely associated with the period in which Agbebi’s profile was rapidly expanding.

Her growing reputation also led to international opportunities. In November 2022, she performed at the Dubai Expo, where she shared the stage with Grammy Award-winning composer A. R. Rahman and the Firdaus Orchestra. The performance marked an important international moment in her developing career.

Musical Style and Influences

Agbebi’s music is primarily built around contemporary gospel and worship, but her work is strongly connected to Nigerian and Yoruba musical expression. She frequently incorporates Yoruba titles and phrases into her songs, allowing indigenous language and Christian worship to coexist naturally within contemporary production.

Her vocal style is one of the most recognisable elements of her music. She often moves between intimate, quieter passages and fuller declarations of worship, giving her recordings a strong live-ministry quality. This approach is particularly evident in her spontaneous worship recordings and collaborations with other worship leaders.

The themes running through her music include God’s faithfulness, divine possibility, gratitude, intimacy with God, praise and spiritual dependence. Songs such as “Koseunti”, “Aileyipada” and “B’Ola” reflect her tendency to use simple but meaningful declarations as the foundation for worship.

Agbebi has also developed a reputation for worship sessions that allow more room for musical spontaneity than a conventional studio recording. Her collaborations with her husband, Yinka Okeleye, have become another important part of this aspect of her ministry. Her official artist links include several joint worship projects with Okeleye, as well as collaborations with Moses Bliss and other contemporary gospel artists.

Notable Songs and Collaborations

Following “Koseunti”, Agbebi continued to expand her catalogue with songs that reinforced her identity as a worship-focused artist. “My Daddy, My Daddy”, performed with Lawrence Oyor, became one of her most visible collaborative releases, while “B’Ola (Honour)” further broadened her audience in 2023.

The live version of “B’Ola” featured veteran Nigerian singer Sola Allyson, creating a meeting point between two generations of Yoruba-rooted gospel and inspirational music. She also released “Oba Ni” with Nosa Omoregie and collaborated with Folabi Nuel on “He’s Alive”.

Her collaborations have continued to cover different parts of Nigeria’s contemporary gospel movement. Among them are projects with Moses Bliss, Yinka Okeleye, Yadah and other worship ministers. Her catalogue includes “Mercy” with Moses Bliss and Pastor Jerry Eze, “Prevailing Worship” with Yinka Okeleye and Moses Bliss, and “Never Seen (Live)” with Yadah.

Other notable songs in her catalogue include “Amazing”, “Yeshua”, “Aileyipada”, “Holy Spirit” and “Awamaridi”. These releases show the progression of her music from her early contemporary gospel recordings toward a broader body of worship material.

Personal Life

Sunmisola Agbebi married fellow gospel singer and worship minister Yinka Okeleye in 2023. Their relationship has also developed into a musical partnership, with the pair appearing together on worship recordings and live sessions. Their joint work has included several soaking and prophetic worship projects, further connecting their personal and ministry lives.

Their musical partnership has become a visible part of Agbebi’s later career, although she has continued to maintain her own identity as a solo recording artist and worship leader.

Recent Career and Recognition

Agbebi has continued to release music and appear at worship events as her audience has grown. Her later catalogue includes “Aileyipada”, “Holy Spirit” and “Awamaridi”, alongside several live worship projects and collaborations. Her continued output has helped establish her as more than an artist associated with one breakout song.

Her work has also attracted industry recognition. She was nominated for Female Artist of the Year at the 2024 Kingdom Achievers Awards. In 2026, she was nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year at the Nigeria International Gospel Music Awards, while her album Glory received a nomination for Album of the Year. She subsequently won Female Vocalist of the Year at NIGMA 2026.

One of the most significant recent developments in her career has been the continued expansion of her worship ministry beyond individual songs. Her live recordings, collaborations and worship sessions have helped her connect with a younger generation of Nigerian gospel listeners while retaining the devotional character that defined her early work.

Legacy and Influence

Although still relatively early in her career, Sunmisola Agbebi has established a recognisable place within Nigeria’s contemporary gospel movement. Her rise demonstrates the growing influence of worship artists whose careers are built through a combination of digital releases, live ministry, collaborations and church audiences.

Her contribution is particularly notable in the way she combines contemporary gospel production with Yoruba-language worship and spontaneous musical expression. “Koseunti” gave her a major breakthrough, but the breadth of her subsequent work has shown that her artistic identity extends well beyond a single song.

From a child singing in church to an internationally performing worship leader, Agbebi’s career has developed around a consistent emphasis on faith, worship and musical expression. Her continuing recordings and collaborations suggest an artist still in the process of defining her long-term legacy, but whose voice has already become increasingly familiar within the Nigerian and wider African gospel music community.