In an age where the average Nigerian scrolls more than they stroll, where TikTok devotionals coexist with Insta-sermons, and where the church has long since expanded beyond the building, a quiet but powerful shift is finally unfolding in a region that is perceived by many to be heavily sexist, including in Christian circles the shift? Women preachers from Nigeria’s South-East and South-South are reimagining ministry through the lens of digital culture.
This is not your grandfather’s gospel. It’s bold, visual, deeply feminine, and fiercely rooted in scripture. It’s livestreamed, clipped, captioned, and algorithm-friendly, but it’s also authentic, spirit-led, and emotionally present.
From Port Harcourt to Benin City, Aba to Asaba, these women are flipping the script on what spiritual leadership looks like and where it happens.
The Woman Behind the Screen
One of the most compelling voices in this space is Anwuli Ojiekere, of TheWinlos, a Christian creative ministry renowned for its high-quality skits, short films, and, more recently, full-length cinematic features with biblical themes. Based in Benin City (but with a digital footprint that spans continents), Anwuli is not just a content creator; she’s a minister, a teacher, and a cultural bridge.
With her husband, Rev. Ohis Ojeikere, she has crafted a digital ministry that balances humour, theology, and visual storytelling. Their videos regularly clock hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube, and their live events are packed with young adults craving faith experiences that don’t feel outdated or out of touch.
But what’s remarkable about Anwuli isn’t just her reach—it’s the intention behind it.
Through her online devotionals, Q&A sessions, and behind-the-scenes storytelling, Anwuli embodies a gentle authority, the kind that doesn’t shout, but still silences doubt.
She is stylish, articulate, funny, and deeply grounded in scripture. And in a world that often demands women in ministry perform either humility or hardness, she brings wholeness instead.
A Shift in Spiritual Influence
The rise of female preachers on digital platforms isn’t a fluke; it’s a response to both spiritual hunger and cultural shifts.
Why now?
Because many young Nigerians are deconstructing without disconnecting, they want faith that’s real, not rigid. They’re less concerned about how long your robe is and more interested in how your faith meets them in their everyday chaos.
Women like Anwuli, Rev. Laurie Idahosa, Pastor Rose Kelvin, and many others, too numerous to mention, are answering that call. Through Instagram Live, YouTube sermons, voice notes, and even WhatsApp prayer chains, they are meeting this generation in the trenches.
They preach about salvation, repentance, heartbreak, delay, purpose, spiritual warfare, impostor syndrome, mental health, and they do it all while being wives, mothers, business owners, or creatives. Their ministry is not performance—it’s embodied.
The Platforms They Use to Preach
Each of these women uses digital platforms not as a side gig but as a primary pulpit.
- Instagram becomes a place for daily encouragement, Q&As, and fashion-faith intersection.
- YouTube becomes the global sanctuary, complete with high-quality sermons, skits, and short films.
- Facebook still holds sway among older audiences in cities like Port Harcourt and Onitsha, offering live-streamed services, testimonies, and teaching sessions.
- WhatsApp prayer chains are low-tech but high-impact, especially in more rural parts of the Southeast.
- TikTok is emerging as the new frontier, offering 30-second truth bombs that still carry oil.
It’s not about being trendy. It’s about being available. And these women have shown up in remarkable ways.
Rev. Laurie Idahosa: Grace in Legacy
Daughter-in-law to the legendary Archbishop Benson Idahosa, Rev. Laurie Idahosa stands at a unique intersection of traditional spiritual legacy and modern ministry sensibility.
Based in Benin City, her ministry spans physical pulpits and digital timelines. Her Instagram is an eclectic mix of heartfelt devotionals, family moments, and transparent teachings about grief, leadership, and personal growth.
She doesn’t just preach, she relates.
And for many women in the South-South, she represents what’s possible: a life of spiritual depth that doesn’t shrink your femininity, ambition, or creativity.
Bishop Nkechi Nwosu: Breaking Ground, Spirit-Filled
When Bishop Nkechi Nwosu was consecrated as the first female bishop in the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) in 2023, it wasn’t just a personal milestone—it was a regional and spiritual landmark.
Hailing from Imo State, Bishop Nwosu’s elevation to the bishopric was a bold statement in a denomination and region where ecclesiastical leadership has long been male-dominated. But her journey to the top wasn’t about shattering ceilings for its own sake—it was about answering a call she has carried faithfully for decades.
Known for her scriptural depth, pastoral compassion, and administrative excellence, Bishop Nwosu has become a beacon for many younger women in ministry, especially in Anglican and mainline circles.
Though not flashy or viral in the social media sense, she represents the kind of quiet spiritual authority that commands respect and inspires courage. Her leadership in the Diocese of Jos (where she serves) still echoes strongly across the South-East, where many watched her consecration with excitement for what it means for female preachers in the region and the fresh possibilities it presents.
Rev. Helen Ukpabio: Controversial, Unapologetic, Consistent
You can’t talk about women in ministry in Nigeria’s South-South without mentioning Rev. Helen Akpabio, founder of Liberty Gospel Church and one of the region’s most visible (and at times controversial) spiritual voices.
Based in Cross River State, Ukpabio rose to prominence in the 90s and early 2000s through her films, books, and deliverance crusades, which focused heavily on spiritual warfare, witchcraft, and demonic oppression. Her work sparked global debate, especially in humanitarian and child rights circles, but in the Niger Delta, she has built a fierce following among people seeking spiritual liberation.
Akpabio pioneered a media-first ministry long before Instagram pastors became a thing. She wrote books, produced movies, held conferences, and created a hybrid of Nollywood-style storytelling and spiritual teaching, reaching thousands who felt unseen by more formal religious structures.
Whether one agrees with her theological emphasis or not, her impact is undeniable. She carved a path for women to lead churches, media ministries, and healing crusades in a region where male-led Pentecostalism dominated the stage.
Today, her ministry remains active, and her legacy is visible in the number of women who now take up space in prophetic and deliverance ministries across the South-South.
Their Significance
Bishop Nkechi Nwosu and Rev. Helen Ukpabio represent two different but vital faces of female spiritual leadership in Nigeria’s South-East and South-South:
- One is institutional, theologically grounded, and steadily reforming tradition from within.
- The other is entrepreneurial, prophetic, and driven by personal conviction and cultural engagement.
Together, they show that there’s no single way to answer the call of God as a woman in this region, but there is power in showing up, leading boldly, and making room for others.
Why This Matters
Historically, the South-East and South-South have birthed powerful male ministers, from Archbishops to firebrand revivalists, but women were often the intercessors behind the curtain, not the ones with microphones in their hands.
But now, digital platforms have levelled the playing field.
There’s no gatekeeper when you have data and something to say.
These women are preaching in lace wigs and soft voices, in makeup and Ankara, with prophetic fire and feminine grace, and they’re reaching people the traditional church never could.
Challenges They Still Face
Being a female preacher online is not without its backlash.
Many of these women face:
- Scepticism from older clergy who still believe women shouldn’t teach men
- Misinterpretation of their confidence as pride
- Sexist criticism around their looks, tone, or marital status
- Digital harassment masked as “spiritual correction”
Still, they continue. Because they know they’re not just breaking ground, they’re fulfilling purpose, inspiring millions of women in our region and beyond by answering the call of God on their lives.
The Gospel, Reimagined
What’s emerging in the South-East and South-South isn’t just a new generation of female preachers.
It’s a reimagining of how the gospel is lived, shared, and felt.
Where once people had to travel miles to hear a sermon, now they open their phones and receive a word.
Where once ministry was boxed into buildings, now it flows freely, from kitchens, cars, bedrooms, and digital studios.
And women are not left behind in this movement, not because they’re trying to prove anything, but because they’ve been called.
A New Kind of Revival
This revival doesn’t look like what many expected.
It looks like a young woman in Aba watching a Reel from Rev Anwuli and deciding not to give up on waiting for her Godly spouse.
It looks like a girl in Calabar seeing Apostle Helen run a church, and knowing that God also calls women to pioneer churches. It is seeing her pray and believing God still heals and delivers.
It looks like a mother in Owerri tuning into Rev. Laurie and realising her femininity doesn’t disqualify her from fire.
Faith. Femininity. Followers, for women in this region, is not a trend. It is a new kind of revival, and it is just getting started.
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