‘They sing rubbish, corrupt youths’ — Pastor Enenche slams Afrobeats musicians

Dunamis International Gospel Centre’s Senior Pastor Dr Paul Enenche has criticized Afrobeats as lacking substance and negatively influencing youths, calling on Gospel artists to produce more “word-loaded” music as an alternative.

Dr Paul Enenche isn’t here for Afrobeats — and he wants Gospel music to fill the void.

Addressing his congregation during Dunamis International Gospel Centre’s Mid-year Worship concert, the Senior Pastor didn’t hold back on his assessment of Nigeria’s biggest music export, describing much of it as lyrically empty and harmful to young listeners.

“Most of those Afrobeats are just saying rubbish. Smoking Indian hemp while they are singing and influencing the youths in negative ways,” he told the congregation.

His solution: more purposeful Gospel music aimed squarely at young people. He called out Prinx Emmanuel and other young music ministers in attendance, announcing plans for a “youth fire night” event on September 25 and urging them to clear their calendars.

“It is better to have music that is saying something that youth is hearing than the garbage that worldly musicians sing,” Enenche said, framing Gospel music as a necessary counterweight to what he sees as Afrobeats’ corrosive influence.

According to Daily Post, he argued that once young people are given a steady diet of positive musical alternatives, their life choices would naturally shift in a better direction. “By the time you have this positive replacement for such garbage, then your life cannot follow such a direction,” he said.

Looking ahead, Enenche expressed hope that more energetic Gospel music would become increasingly substantive and instructive for young listeners. “I trust that in time to come, more of this music will be very word-loaded to disciple you, show you steps to take, how to stay away from negative friends, how to make the right decisions and so on,” he stated.

The comments add Enenche’s voice to a long-running debate in Nigeria over the cultural and moral influence of Afrobeats, a genre that has become one of the country’s most successful cultural exports globally, even as some religious leaders continue to question its lyrical content and impact on youth.