Gospel Singer Toluwanisings Dies at 41 as Fans and Colleagues Mourn

Nigerian gospel singer Olayemi Bayonile Bolaji, widely known as Toluwanisings, has died at the age of 41. His family confirmed that he passed away in the early hours of Wednesday, October 14, 2026, after he collapsed suddenly at his home in Ibadan, Oyo State. The family did not disclose a cause of death.

News of his passing drew tributes from fellow gospel ministers, church congregations and fans across the country, many of whom shared clips of his worship sessions and live performances.

Questions about emergency care

An aide to the singer has said that he was taken to several hospitals on the night he collapsed and that some did not attend to him, with doctors’ strikes reportedly cited at some facilities. The University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, has said it has no record of him being brought to the hospital. The accounts have sparked wider discussion about access to emergency care in Nigeria, particularly at night and during industrial action by health workers.

No official investigation into his emergency treatment has been announced.

Key points

• Name: Olayemi Bayonile Bolaji, known as Toluwanisings.
• Age: 41.
• Date: died in the early hours of October 14, 2026, in Ibadan.
• Cause: not disclosed by the family.
• Debate: accounts of his search for treatment have renewed concerns over emergency care.

A voice in contemporary worship

Toluwanisings was known for his Yoruba and English worship songs and for leading praise sessions at churches and gospel concerts. His music found an audience well beyond Ibadan through streaming and social media, where his ministrations were widely shared.

Background

Nigeria’s resident doctors and other health workers have embarked on strikes at various times this year over pay and working conditions, and patient groups have repeatedly warned that disruptions in emergency departments can have serious consequences.

Details of funeral arrangements are expected to be announced by the family. Our thoughts are with his loved ones.

Photo: Unsplash (illustrative).