Nigeria’s highest-earning YouTuber isn’t a comedian or musician. He’s a 43-year-old pastor whose daily prayer sessions have revolutionised African Christianity and generated ₦10.71 billion ($7+ million USD) through 2025. Pastor Jerry Uchechukwu Eze grew from a World Bank communications specialist to the continent’s most influential digital evangelist, drawing 80 million viewers in 2025 alone while building a global ministry with over 26 branches across four continents.
Pastor Jerry’s YouTube is Africa’s first homegrown creator to dominate YouTube’s highest-earning rankings for two consecutive years (2024-2025), surpassing all entertainment, sports, and lifestyle creators in Nigeria.
His daily New Season Prophetic Prayers and Declarations (NSPPD) sessions average 282,451 live viewers, making his channel the most-watched live stream in Nigeria and placing him second globally in Super Chat earnings behind only American sports YouTuber Tom Grossi. The prayer event was included in the 2023 listing of “Africa Peace Icons 2023” by the 100 Most Notable organisations and featured on CNN coverage in August 2022.
For context, Nigeria’s top five highest-earning YouTube channels are all faith-based, with Pastor Jerry earning approximately 20-30 times more than his nearest religious competitors. He appeared on a New York Times Square billboard for a birthday celebration.
His life began in poverty. Raised by a single mother selling groundnuts in Umuahia markets, young Jerry experienced days without food. Yet his mother prophesied he would become “a voice in his generation.”
That prophecy has materialised from a fellowship of 7 members in 2008 to a multimedia church reaching five continents, built on the foundation of prayer ministry.
Pastor Jerry Uchechukwu Biography
Pastor Jerry Uchechukwu Eze was born on August 22, 1982, in Okoko Item, Bende Local Government Area of Abia State, Nigeria. His education began at Ibeku High School, Umuahia (1991-1997), funded by a benevolent couple.
He earned his Bachelor’s degree in History and International Relations from Abia State University, where he also served as Campus Pastor at All Saints Chapel. In this role, he met his future wife, Eno, then 17.
After graduation, Pastor Jerry pursued conventional career success. He worked briefly in broadcasting before joining prestigious international organisations as a Communications Specialist with the World Bank’s HIV/AIDS project and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
By all metrics, he had achieved the Nigerian dream of stable, prestigious employment with international organisations.
But in 2009, he made a decision that bewildered colleagues: he resigned from the UN. “I was very excited about the job at the UNFPA, but my mum wasn’t. She said it wasn’t what God told her,” he recalled in a CNN interview. His mother’s encouragement proved prophetic.
That year, he entered full-time pastoral ministry at All Saints Chapel before launching what would become Streams of Joy International.
Streams of Joy
Pastor Eze began a fellowship in 2008 with just seven members. By 2011, he launched the Streams of Joy Daily Devotional, now a bestseller distributed across five continents. The devotional is available in hard copy globally and digitally via jerryeze.com.
The formal church inauguration took place on December 15, 2013, at a state-of-the-art facility at Km 4 on the Ikot-Ekpene Road, Umuahia. The early years focused on building physical presence: six Sunday services, deliberate community building, and establishing branches across Nigerian cities, including Abuja, Aba, Uyo, and Port Harcourt.
Then came the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. As churches shuttered globally, Pastor Jerry launched NSPPD, a daily online prayer session streamed live at 7:00 AM Nigerian time.
The timing proved providential. Millions of believers, isolated and anxious, found community in his fervent prayers and prophetic declarations. His channel, launched on November 21, 2019, exploded in growth. The movement’s slogan became ubiquitous across Nigeria: “What God Cannot Do Does Not Exist.”
The Streams of Joy headquarters remains in Umuahia at Jubilee House, Km 4, Ikot-Ekpene Road, with a significant operational centre at M&M Event Centre, Tafawa Balewa Road, Garki 1, Abuja. The ministry refers to branches as “expressions,”.
Nigerian presence includes established churches in Aba (Eldorado Hotel/Oluchi Hall), Uyo (IBB Avenue), Owerri (Union Bank Building), Port Harcourt, and multiple other cities. Sunday services run six times weekly across branches, collectively drawing over 5,000 worshippers.
International expansion accelerated from 2022 onward. The United Kingdom now hosts multiple expressions: Streams of Joy East London, Streams of Joy London (inaugurated February 2023 under Pastor Dr Moses), and Nottingham.
The United States has resident pastors leading Houston (Pastor Godstime Pender, married father of four), New York (Pastor Chris Oji), and Dallas locations. Canada’s Calgary expression operates under Pastors Chimdi and Nomnso, while South Africa hosts an additional branch.
Pastor Jerry serves as Apostolic Lead, with his wife, Pastor Eno, as Co-Leader and Associate Pastor. Each international expression has resident pastors with operational autonomy while maintaining doctrinal and programmatic alignment.
YouTube
As of September 2025, his official “Pastor Jerry Eze” channel boasts 2.87 million subscribers, up 35% from 2.12 million in 2024. With 643+ million lifetime views across 2,900+ uploaded videos, the channel generates staggering engagement metrics that dwarf traditional entertainment content.
His 2025 earnings tell the story of digital ministry’s financial viability. Playboard analytics, a global YouTube monitoring platform that uses sophisticated data analysis, reports cumulative 2025 revenue of ₦10.71 billion (approximately $7.1 million USD), a 37% increase from 2024’s ₦7.81 billion.
Daily revenue averages ₦5-7 million ($3,300-$5,000), spiking to ₦21 million on peak Sundays when traffic surges. His weekly revenue consistently exceeds ₦47.7 million.
The mechanics behind this revenue reveal YouTube’s Super Chat feature as the primary driver. Super Chat allows viewers to pay to highlight messages during live streams. In Pastor Jerry’s case, prayer requests and testimonies. Creators receive 70% of Super Chat revenue, and their NSPPD sessions have become the most “Super Chatted” content in Nigeria.
In February 2025, he ranked #2 globally in Super Chat earnings at ₦207 million ($138,000), trailing only Tom Grossi’s ₦574 million ($382,125) during peak American football season.
His rankings place him at the top of Nigerian digital content creation:
- #1 Highest-Earning YouTuber in Nigeria (2024 and 2025, consecutive years)
- #1 Highest Live Viewership in Nigeria (282,451 average viewers per stream)
- #1 Christian/Faith-Based Channel in Nigeria
- #1 Most “Super Chatted” Content Creator in Nigeria
- #2 Globally in Gospel Channel Live Viewership
- Among Top 100 YouTube Creators Worldwide
Critically, all of Nigeria’s top five highest-earning YouTube channels in 2025 are faith-based, Pastor Jerry Eze leads, followed by Paul S. Joshua (The Refiner’s House Ministries), Dunamis TV (Pastor Paul Enenche), Celebration TV (Apostle Johnson Suleman), and Rev. Sam Oye (The Transforming Church). Pastor Jerry’s earnings exceed the combined totals of several competitors, establishing faith-based content as Nigeria’s most lucrative YouTube category.
NSPPD
New Season Prophetic Prayers and Declarations has evolved from pandemic-era stopgap to cultural phenomenon. The format remains consistent: daily live-streamed prayer sessions Monday through Friday at 7:00 AM West African Time, broadcast simultaneously across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Mixlr. But the scale has become extraordinary.
Historic 2022 data from Vanguard Nigeria documented the program’s reach during its breakthrough period: 81.4 million views across all platforms in just six months (December 2021 to May 2022), with 19 million+ devices logged in and an estimated 244.3 million participants when accounting for three persons per device. This was declared “the largest prayer programme in Africa, if not the world.”
The 2025 statistics show sustained momentum. Through September 2025, NSPPD attracted 80 million viewers with peak concurrent viewership regularly exceeding 282,000 during live streams.
While Nigeria provides 2+ million viewers, the UK contributes 1+ million, the USA 700,000+, with significant audiences in Italy, Germany, Canada, France, Spain, Ireland, and across African nations.
Content centres on fervent prayer, prophetic declarations, and testimonies. Each session features pre-recorded testimony videos interspersed with live prayer, with Pastor Jerry often joined by his wife, Pastor Eno Jerry Eze, whose participation is affectionately known as “the female voice that roars.”
Testimonies range from documented healings (cancer reversals, blind eyes opening, deaf ears restored, paralysed individuals walking) to financial breakthroughs, conception after infertility, and family restorations.
The program’s success stems from multiple factors: timing (launched when churches were closed), interactivity (Super Chat allows personal connection), consistency (daily sessions build routine), production quality (professional videography and graphics), and emotional resonance (meets spiritual needs during challenging times). The 700% increase in Nigerian data consumption since 2019 provided the infrastructure for the digital ministry’s explosion.
Pastor Jerry Uchechukwu’s Net Worth
Pastor Jerry Eze’s financial profile has transformed dramatically from earlier estimates. Current net worth stands at approximately $2 million USD as of 2024-2025, a 1,900-2,000% increase from the previously cited $100,000 figure.
YouTube remains the dominant revenue source. His lifetime YouTube earnings of ₦10.71 billion (approximately $7-7.5 million USD at 2024-2025 exchange rates) dwarf his earnings from other income sources. However, Nigerian tax structures, operational costs, and ministry reinvestment mean personal net worth significantly lags gross revenue.
YouTubers.me estimates range from $754,000 to $2 million, with the higher figure more commonly cited across sources such as Kashgain.net, Carmart.ng, and analyses of Playboard data.
Church and ministry income provides substantial but undisclosed revenue. Streams of Joy International operates as a religious organisation exempt from detailed financial reporting requirements. The ministry maintains multiple international bank accounts and digital giving platforms, including PayPal, Zelle, Cash App, and Flutterwave.
With over 5,000 worshippers across 26 global branches, tithes and offerings generate significant income, though specific figures remain private. UK branches registered as private limited companies are in active status but with limited financial disclosure.
Book sales and publications contribute meaningful supplementary income. The Streams of Joy Daily Devotional’s bestseller status across five continents since 2011, combined with other titles like “Supernatural Parenting,” “Am I Making a Mistake?,” and various volumes of “My Night Thoughts,” establishes ongoing royalty streams. Specific sales figures aren’t publicly disclosed, but a bestseller designation typically requires sales of hundreds of thousands of copies.
Speaking engagements and conferences generate fees ranging from $ 5,000 to $25,000+ per appearance, based on standard rates for pastors of his stature, though exact figures remain unverified.
His international conferences in the UK (Excel Arena, Twickenham Stadium), USA (Houston), Ghana, Liberia, and Nigeria (Lagos) draw tens of thousands of paying registrants. However, it’s unclear what percentage constitutes personal income versus ministry revenue.
Comparative context illuminates his financial standing. While his $2 million net worth ranks significantly below those of veteran Nigerian mega-pastors, Bishop David Oyedepo ($150 million), Pastor Enoch Adeboye ($60 million), Pastor Chris Oyakhilome ($50 million), Apostle Johnson Suleman ($40-50 million), he dominates in digital earnings.
His YouTube revenue of ₦10.71 billion exceeds competitors by 20-30 times: Paul S. Joshua (₦478.27 million), Dunamis TV (₦417.09 million), Celebration TV (₦568.08 million), and Rev. Sam Oye (₦323.85 million).
Asset disclosure remains limited. He maintains a private residence in Umuahia near the ministry headquarters, uses a black SUV for official purposes, and doesn’t publicly flaunt his vehicle collection or property portfolio. This modest presentation distinguishes him from pastors known for ostentatious displays of wealth, though critics note it doesn’t preclude substantial undisclosed assets.
Philanthropy
Pastor Jerry announced The Jerry Eze Foundation during an August 22, 2024, NSPPD session marking his 42nd birthday.
The signature 2024 housing project built 18 fully furnished houses across Nigeria (north, south, east, west, and the middle belt) for widows, completely free and “no strings attached”. Additional houses followed in Maiduguri (Borno State) and Ado Ekiti.
Business empowerment initiatives included distributing ₦100 million ($67,000 USD) in business grants to over 100 young entrepreneurs, also announced on his 42nd birthday in August 2024.
Transportation support saw 100+ tricycles gifted for his 18th wedding anniversary in March 2025, distributed to various charities and individuals. Tricycles (locally called “keke”) serve as crucial income-generating assets in Nigerian cities, enabling young people to start transportation businesses and generate daily income.
Church member recognition included gifting six brand-new cars to loyal choir members and worship team participants in 2024, specifically recognising those who defended him during controversies.
Individual charitable acts included a substantial financial gift to actress Tonto Dikeh in June 2023, as well as numerous unreported personal interventions.
Controversies and Criticism
Pastor Abel Damina’s August 18, 2024, comments sparked online debate. The respected Nigerian pastor questioned miracle authenticity, stating, “People think I’m jealous of Pastor Jerry Eze. I believe in miracles, I believe in healings, but not all these arrangee miracles we are seeing today.” The “arrangee” (arranged/staged) accusation is a broader Nigerian Pentecostal tension about the authenticity of modern miracle claims. Pastor Jerry hasn’t directly responded, maintaining his policy of not engaging critics publicly.
The Edo State Governor testimony controversy emerged in 2025, when Governor Monday Okpebholo testified at a church service about his election victory. The moderator stated God uses “foolish things” to prove His sovereignty, triggering significant online backlash accusing Pastor Jerry of “desecrating the pulpit.” Critics, including Ose Anenih (son of former Minister Tony Anenih), questioned celebrating what many viewed as a rigged election: “A rigged election is what your god is using to prove his divinity? God will not be mocked, Pastor Jerry.”
The suspended Catholic priest controversy involved Dora Chichah, who testified at Dallas Streams of Joy about Pastor Jerry’s prayers leading her to marriage after nine years. Her husband was Reverend Father Daniel Okonatotor Oghenerukevwe, a Catholic priest who the Diocese of Warri subsequently suspended for marrying without proper release from Holy Orders. Their July 29, 2024, wedding photos went viral. The testimony video didn’t address Daniel’s priesthood status, raising questions about pastoral responsibility in vetting testimonies. Critics viewed this as encouraging violation of Catholic vows, while defenders noted the couple’s genuine love and Dora’s legitimate gratitude.
YouTube earnings discussions generated mixed reactions. While many celebrate his success, some critics question the focus on wealth and earnings rather than on spiritual mission. The revelation that “they probably do not know he is a multi-millionaire courtesy of their views on his channel”, suggesting his congregation may be unaware of substantial YouTube earnings, sparked debate about transparency and financial disclosure in religious organisations.
Pastor Jerry’s cultural impact is visible in language and practice. His slogan, “What God Cannot Do Does Not Exist,” has become a household phrase in Nigeria, appearing on T-shirts, car stickers, and social media profiles. His following includes notable celebrities and public figures: award-winning singer D’banj, Nollywood actress Tonto Dikeh (who describes herself as “addicted” to his ministry), minister Femi Lazarus, and numerous others who openly profess their participation.
