Nigerian singer, actor, filmmaker and entrepreneur Olubankole Wellington, popularly known as Banky W, has opened up about his journey into ministry, revealing that losing an election in 2023 became a major turning point in his life.
Banky W shared the reflection on his Instagram page on Thursday alongside videos showing him serving in church and carrying out pastoral duties.
The entertainer said he used to joke that the “P” in P.Banks stood for Professor rather than Pastor, but he now believes God had a different plan for him.
“I used to joke that the ‘P’ in P.Banks stood for Professor, not Pastor. I guess God heard and said, ‘Why not both?’” he wrote.
Reflecting on his political experience, Banky W said he lost an election in 2023 and, although the experience inspired him in many ways, it also left him deeply hurt.
“In 2023 I lost an election. And while the experience inspired me in many ways, it also broke my heart into a million little pieces,” he said.
According to him, after the election, he took his disappointment back to God and surrendered.
He said he began asking God what was next for his life, including whether his future lay in leadership, ministry, entertainment, business or a combination of those areas.
Banky W said he eventually realised that he had been asking God to choose between things that God had never asked him to separate.
“It wasn’t either/or. It was all of the above,” he wrote.
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He said the experience made him understand that God was not trying to put him in a box but was expanding his assignment.
“Turns out, God wasn’t trying to put me in a box. He was expanding my assignment,” he said.
Banky W noted that he remains a filmmaker, musician and entrepreneur, while also serving as a pastor and professor.
“So yes, I’m still a filmmaker, musician, and entrepreneur. But somehow, by the grace of God, I’m also a Pastor AND a Professor,” he wrote.
He also spoke about the demands of constantly travelling between Lagos and the United States, describing the experience as difficult but worthwhile.
According to Banky W, he now has the privilege of serving as an Associate Pastor and Global Ambassador at Union Church, as well as a teacher and leader at Union College.
The entertainer has maintained a strong connection with Christian ministry over the years, having previously served as an associate pastor in Lagos.
His political journey also formed part of his broader public-service ambitions. Banky W contested for the Eti-Osa Federal Constituency seat in the 2023 general election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party but was unsuccessful.
In his latest reflection, however, he presented the election loss as part of a larger journey rather than an endpoint.
He said the different aspects of his career and calling were ultimately coming together as part of what he considers his God-given assignment.
Banky W’s post comes alongside videos showing him actively serving in church, offering his followers a glimpse into a chapter of his life that has increasingly moved beyond entertainment into ministry, education and leadership.