Gospel artist Timi Dakolo has responded strongly to a viral comment made by Pastor Femi Lazarus, who criticized gospel artists for charging fees to perform at church events.
The debate over whether Nigerian gospel artists should charge fees to perform at church events has resurfaced on social media following comments made by Pastor Femi Lazarus, the lead pastor of Light Nation Church.
In a now-viral video, Pastor Lazarus criticized gospel musicians for prioritizing financial gain over their spiritual calling. He expressed concern that many artists had shifted their focus from ministry to business. He stated, “It has become a performance—someone has come here to charge N5 million to sing.”
His remarks sparked widespread discussion, with many weighing in on whether gospel musicians should be compensated for their work. Among those who responded the comments of Pastor Femi Lazarus was popular Nigerian singer Timi Dakolo, who strongly opposed the pastor’s stance.
Dakolo argued that gospel artists invest significantly in their craft and deserve to be paid accordingly. He highlighted the costs of studio sessions, music production, and promotion. Additionally, he emphasizedd that musicians also have families to support and bills to pay.
“You should be paid what you deserve. Studio session, production, and promotion cost a lot. You have a family to feed, you have rent to pay, you have more songs to put out. We should stop all these attacks on people’s work. As much as it is spiritual, music is art,” he wrote.
Also, the R&B singer further advised Pastor Lazarus to utilize his church choir for events if he was unwilling to pay professional gospel artists. “This gaslighting has to stop. If you can’t pay people, use your choir members and pay them what you would have given the guest artist,” Dakolo added.
Meanwhile, the debate has since ignited mixed reactions online, with some supporting Dakolo’s view. However, others argue that gospel music should remain a ministry rather than a business.
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