Daughter of late Nigerian entertainment icon, Moses Olaiya Adejumo, popularly known as Baba Sala, Dr Oyindamola Adejumo-Ayibiowu, is set to host the 2026 edition of ORATORIO, a gospel music concert, in Lagos as the initiative marks 30 years since its establishment.

The event, themed ‘The Sound of Thanks’, will hold on Thursday, November 12, 2026, at The Freudes Place, beside UP ASSO Building, Maryland, Lagos. The concert will also be streamed live worldwide, allowing audiences outside Lagos and Nigeria to participate.

The line-up includes popular gospel artistes Adeyinka Alaseyori, Pelumi Deborah, Tope Flourish, Elijah Daniel, Woli Agba, Esther Jesus Baby and George Sax. Other scheduled performers include Mountain Top Chorale, Bimpe Funso, Apala Ladies and Holy Flames.

Tagged “An Evening of Praise, Gratitude and Celebration,” the programme will feature music, worship, drama, comedy, dance and other life-changing ministrations.

Adejumo-Ayibiowu, convener and founder of the Oratorio Music Foundation, established the initiative in 1996 while she was a student at the Federal Polytechnic, Ede, Osun State.

What began as a campus concert has grown over the years into a platform for gospel music, youth mentorship, talent development and community engagement.

Speaking about the inspiration behind the initiative in an earlier interview, Adejumo-Ayibiowu recalled receiving the vision to organise a concert while she was an ND II student at the institution.

According to her, the first edition was successfully staged in 1996, after which she continued returning to Ede to sustain the vision, even after gaining admission to Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

The initiative has since expanded beyond its original campus setting, reaching young people across different institutions and communities.

In a February 2026 interview with The PUNCH, Adejumo-Ayibiowu disclosed that more than 1,000 young people had passed through the foundation’s platform.

She explained that the organisation was established not merely to organise musical performances but also to mentor young people and help them discover and fulfil their purpose.

She said, “I never stopped because the applause was high. I never stopped because money was flowing. I never stopped because the calling was clear.”

A development economist, gospel artiste and writer, Adejumo-Ayibiowu has also built a career in scholarship and public service, combining her professional engagements with music ministry and youth development.

Although she is the daughter of the late Baba Sala, one of Nigeria’s celebrated comedians and theatre practitioners, she has established her own identity through gospel music and the Oratorio vision.

Her debut album, High Rise, was released in 2004, while her song, Werewere, which she composed in 1996, served as the theme song for the foundation’s first concert. She later released a 20th-anniversary remake of the song in 2025.

Over the years, ORATORIO has also incorporated outreach programmes and youth-focused interventions, including initiatives addressing drug abuse and promoting positive choices among students.

The 2026 edition is expected to bring together gospel music lovers, worshippers and families for an evening of thanksgiving, praise and celebration.