Matthew Ashimolowo

About Matthew Ashimolowo

Winning Ways became a household name across Nigeria long before most pastors had discovered television.

Matthew Ashimolowo was born on March 17, 1952. The Nigerian clergyman would go on to build one of the most influential churches in the diaspora, reshaping how Africans worshipped abroad.

In 1992, Ashimolowo founded the Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC) in London. What started as a vision became a movement. The church grew from a small gathering into a spiritual powerhouse that drew thousands of worshippers weekly.

His television programme Winning Ways aired on Trinity Broadcasting Network across TBN UK and TBN Africa. The show reached millions of homes. Through TBN, Ashimolowo's message of prosperity and faith penetrated Nigerian living rooms for decades.

KICC expanded beyond Sunday services. The church launched its own television channel, KICC TV, to broadcast sermons and teachings directly to believers. This gave Ashimolowo unprecedented reach into the spiritual landscape of Nigeria and the diaspora.

Forbes took notice of his empire. The financial publication estimated his fortune at between $6 million and $10 million. The valuation reflected not just his pastoral influence but his business acumen in building a global religious institution.

Ashimolowo's model differed from traditional Nigerian churches. KICC operated from London but maintained deep roots in Nigeria. He proved that a pastor could build massive wealth while maintaining a congregation that spanned continents.

Today, Ashimolowo remains the senior pastor of KICC. His legacy sits at the intersection of faith, media, and international commerce. From a small London gathering in 1992 to a multi-million dollar religious empire, he demonstrated how African spirituality could thrive in the West while never losing connection to home.