Apekeola Biography: Net Worth, Age, Husband, Parents, Praise Songs, Albums, Children
Apekeola, born Oshaji Oluwakemi Sarah, is a Nigerian gospel singer, songwriter, worship leader and minister based in Lagos.
She rose to prominence with the song Ogbogofolemi, and her music blends traditional Yoruba melodies and beats with contemporary gospel.
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Her singing began in childhood in the church choir. She later worked as a backing vocalist for other acts and performed at shows whenever she had the chance.
Her debut album, Ara, came out in 2018, followed by Ogbogofolemi and Aye Ope Yo. She also appeared alongside gospel minister Adeyinka Alaseyori on Spontaneous Worship & Praise g4, and she runs an event planning business.
Before her breakthrough, she worked as a street food vendor. She has described Ogbogofolemi as the story of God showing up for her at her lowest point. She credits her faith and her husband as her main sources of support, and his name is not publicly documented.
| Apekeola | |
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| Wiki Facts & About Data | |
| Real Name: | Oshaji Oluwakemi Sarah |
| Stage Name: | Apekeola |
| Born: | March 31, 1988 (age 38 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | Lagos, Nigeria |
| Nationality: | Nigerian |
| Ethnicity: | Yoruba |
| Education: | Legend Private School, Community Grammar School, Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education |
| Religion: | Christianity |
| Parents: | Mr. and Mrs. Oshaji |
| Spouse: | Oluwadamilare Dada |
| Occupation: | Gospel Singer, Songwriter, Worship Leader, Minister, Event Planner |
| Net Worth: | $50,000-$200,000 |
Early Life & Education
Apekeola, born Oshaji Oluwakemi Sarah, was born on March 31, 1988, in Lagos State, Nigeria. Her birth date makes her an Aries.
She is Yoruba by ethnicity and a Christian by religion, and she grew up worshipping at the Apostolic Church in Ipaja, where her musical journey began.
She grew up in the Ipaja Ayobo area of Lagos. Her parents are Mr. and Mrs. Oshaji, and her siblings are not publicly documented. Music came early: she started singing at the age of 11 in the church choir, and by 14 she was already working as a backing vocalist for other artists, a path that later fed into her own band.
For her education, she attended Legend Private School for her primary studies, then Community Grammar School, Ipaja, for her secondary education. She proceeded to the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education for her tertiary studies.
Her name carries its own story. Her husband, Oluwadamilare Dada, gave her the stage name Apekeola, and she now also goes by Dada Oluwakemi Sarah in her married life. She rose to national attention with the song Ogbogofolemi.
Career
Apekeola began her music career in the choir of the Apostolic Church in Ipaja, Lagos, where she started singing at the age of 11.
By 14, she was working as a backing vocalist for other singers, and she kept up the backup work for years to earn extra money for her family. Around 2006, she formed her own band, and her husband, Oluwadamilare Dada, later became her manager and keyboardist.
Her debut album, Ara (meaning Wonders), came out in 2018. The record introduced her fusion of traditional Yoruba melodies and rhythms with contemporary gospel arrangements, though it was Ogbogofolemi that pushed her into national view.
The song grew out of a hard season in her life: she was selling food on the street when her fortunes changed, and she has often described the track as a testimony of God lifting her from her lowest point.
Her five-track album O Gbogbo F’olemi followed on December 12, 2021, through Sarolaj Ent., and carried songs such as Ogun Ti Njani Bo and Olorun Gbogbo Eran Ara. Fans and promoters began billing her under the name Apekeola Ogbogofolemi, and the song remains the one she is most identified with.
Collaboration has also shaped her reach. She featured on Spontaneous Worship & Praise g4 with gospel minister Adeyinka Alaseyori, a release that widened her audience across Nigerian worship circles, and she has worked with Tosin Bee as well.
In September 2024, she released the extended play Iba Fun Olorun, continuing her output as a worship leader and songwriter. Beyond her recordings, she ministers at church programmes and concerts, has taken her sound outside Nigeria, and runs an event planning business alongside her music.
The road has not been easy. She has spoken openly about the challenges of being a female gospel artist, from the logistics of moving her band and instruments to venues, to the pressure some women in ministry face from men who expect personal favours in exchange for opportunities.
Her advice to younger artists is to stay patient and never trade their dignity for quick profit. She says her songs carry no fixed theme, drawing instead on the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and on whatever she is passing through at the time.
Social Media
- Instagram: Dada sarah oluwakemi (@iamsarahapekeola)
- Facebook: IamsarahApekeola fanpage
- YouTube: Iamsarahapekeola
Personal Life
Apekeola is 38 years old, born on March 31, 1988.
She is married to Oluwadamilare Dada, a keyboardist who also serves as her manager. The year of their wedding has not been made public. He has been part of her music journey from the band days, and the stage name Apekeola came from him.
She has said that behind her success stand God first and then her husband, who encourages her to keep going whenever the pressure of ministry wears her down. Since marrying, she has also taken his surname and uses the name Dada Oluwakemi Sarah in her personal life.
The couple has children, and she describes herself as a wife and mother on her social media profile.
Net Worth
Apekeola has a net worth of between $50,000 and $200,000.
Her income comes from gospel music sales and streaming, paid ministrations at church programmes and concerts, and her side businesses in event planning, makeovers, and beads and wire work.
Her husband, Oluwadamilare Dada, manages her bookings and plays keyboard in her band, which keeps her touring costs within the family.
Discography
Albums
- Ara (Wonders) (2018)
- O Gbogbo F’olemi (2021)
EPs
- Iba Fun Olorun (2024)
Singles
- O Gbogbo F’olemi (2021)
- O Gbogbo F’olemi Tunga
- Ogun Ti Njani Bo
- Olorun Gbogbo Eran Ara
- Gba Gbogbo Ogo
Featured Appearances
- Spontaneous Worship & Praise g4 with Adeyinka Alaseyori
- Awokilumo by Deborah Ajayi, alongside Adeyinka Alaseyori
- Praise Affair by Tosin Bee
- E Lagbara by Toluwani
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