Fact Check: 5 Nigerian Pastors Not Among World’s 10 Richest, Forbes, Church Council Finally Speak
- Several reports on social media claimed that among the world’s richest pastors, five are from Nigeria
- The claims gained traction recently when a popular Kwara state clergyman, Reverend Isaac Omolehin was seen in video speaking in a meeting
- Forbes and the World Council of Churches exclusively spoke to Legit.ng on the claims that went viral
Dave Ibemere is a Legit.ng journalist with over 10 years of experience in business reporting, specialising in the Nigerian economy, stocks, and market trends.
Multiple social media posts have claimed that half of the world's richest pastors are from Nigeria, referencing Forbes and the World Council of Churches
However, Forbes and the World Council of Churches told Legit.ng that they have never published such a list and denied making such a ranking.
Source: Getty Images
Richest pastors in Nigeria
While claims about the richest pastors being from Nigeria have been around for a while, the issue resurfaced recently after Reverend Isaac Omolehin, a popular cleric in Kwara state, voiced concern over Nigerian pastors being listed among the 10 richest in the world.
Addressing pastors during a meeting, he pointed to a recent report by the World Council of Churches that highlights a troubling disparity between the personal wealth of pastors and the financial standing of their congregations.
In the viral video, Omolehin said:
“Is it not scary that the World Council of Churches released papers about the state of the Nigerian church that out of the 10 richest pastors in the world, five of them are Nigerians, but out of the 10 richest churches in the world, there’s no Nigerian church?.
“It’s worrisome, it calls for concern.”
Drawing a contrast with global church leadership, he added:
“The Roman Catholic Church is the richest church in the world, the pope has no private jet.”
The clergyman’s remarks come amid ongoing debates about accountability, transparency, and the role of wealth in ministry across Nigeria’s religious landscape.
Source: Getty Images
Verdict: False
To verify the claim, Legit.ng contacted Forbes, the renowned American publication known for ranking the wealthiest people across different spheres of life, as well as the World Council of Churches.
Forbes told Legit.ng that it has never published a ranking of the world’s richest pastors, either in the last 10 years or at any time, adding that claims about five Nigerians being on such a list misrepresent an old and unrelated article.
The unrelated article is about the ranking of the richest pastors in Nigeria which was published in 2011.
In the article, five pastors were named as the richest in Nigeria: Bishop David Oyedepo, who was worth $150 million at the time; Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, estimated at $30–50 million.
The late T.B. Joshua, ranked with a net worth of $10–15 million; Matthew Ashimolowo, $6–10 million; and Chris Okotie, $3–10 million.
Forbes told Legit.ng:
"We can confirm that Forbes has not published a wealth valuation of Pastors in over 10 years and has not published any recent lists or net worth valuations regarding this topic."
Also speaking to Legit.ng. Marianne Ejdersten, Director of Communication World Council of CHurches denied such ranking.
She said:
" I can confirm that this is fake news. The WCC has never presented this report and we don’t gather this kind of information. This is not our role."
Adeboye: $1 would sell N10k without God
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Pastor E.A. Adeboye shared his views about the rising cost of the US dollar to the naira.
The revered cleric said God saved the naira from further crashing against the US dollar.
He said he called for prayers and some people joined him in praying and God intervened in the exchange rate situation
Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
