Gospel singer Akinade “Gaise Baba” Ibuoye has topped YouTube Nigeria’s 2025 year-end music video rankings with ‘No Turning Back II’, his collaborative worship anthem featuring Lawrence Oyor.
The video, released on May 16, has amassed over 41 million views in six months, making it the most-watched Nigerian music video on YouTube this year. It also pulled about 397,000 likes and more than 22,000 comments, according to YouTube’s official data.
Celebrating the achievement on Instagram, Gaise Baba praised his collaborator and their church community, writing:
“Big shout out to pastor Lawrence Oyor and that warrior congregation of David Generation Church. See what the Lord has done with our simple obedience. Of a truth, we shift the culture.”
The gospel hit leads a list traditionally dominated by Afrobeats musicians. Behind Gaise Baba on the 2025 ranking are Shallipopi’s ‘Laho’ and ‘With You’ by Davido featuring Omah Lay.
YouTube also released its top creators list for the year, with actress and filmmaker Omoni Oboli securing the No. 1 spot through her channel, Omoni Oboli TV. Itelediconstudio and Uchenna Mbunabo TV followed closely.
YouTube’s Head of Music for Sub-Saharan Africa, Addy Awofisayo, described 2025 as a year marked by “explosive musical talent and captivating storytellers.” She added that 70 percent of watch time on Nigerian content came from viewers outside the country, with watch time via televisions in Nigeria growing by nearly 40 percent.
‘No Turning Back II’ has broken boundaries beyond YouTube. Earlier this year, it became the highest-charting gospel song ever on the TurnTable Top 100, peaking at No. 4. Its modern remix of the popular hymn ‘I Have Decided to Follow Jesus’ and its viral reception on TikTok, where users launched worship-themed challenges, contributed to its widespread appeal.
