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Tonto Dikeh Reveals She Knew God From Age 17

Published on October 22, 2026

Tonto Dikeh says her faith began at 17, clarifying misconceptions about her Christian journey and her transition into public ministry

Nollywood actress-turned-evangelist Tonto Dikeh has revealed that her relationship with God began when she was 17, insisting that her public emergence as a vocal Christian did not mark the beginning of her spiritual journey.

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The actress made the clarification during an appearance on Real Talk With Kike, hosted by Kikelomo Atanda-Owo. She subsequently shared the interview on her Instagram page on Thursday, October 22, 2026.

Dikeh said many people had misunderstood the timing of her Christian journey, assuming that she gave her life to Christ around the period she began speaking publicly about her faith and becoming more involved in ministry.

According to her, however, her spiritual commitment dates back to her teenage years, when she was already considering a future in pastoral ministry.

“There’s a very big misconception about when I came out to when I gave my life to Christ,” she said.

“Let’s not mistake the fact that I’ve always been in Christ, to the point where I was going to be ordained a pastor. So I knew God at 17.”

The mother of one explained that her public declaration of faith came after a period of private spiritual development, which she described as a time of preparation.

She said the period was necessary before she began sharing her experiences and beliefs more openly with the public.

“When I came out was not the time that I rededicated my life to God,” Dikeh said.

“That was the time when God had to take me through, so all the things I say God told me, it has to be private. It was a private praise that bettered the public announcement.”

Dikeh also recounted an experience involving a reverend who visited her fellowship. She said the visitor witnessed what she described as healings, miracles and prophecies, including moments when people were called by their names.

According to the actress, the experience deeply affected the reverend and allowed him to witness the activities taking place during the fellowship.

Reflecting on her faith and its message to others, Dikeh warned against making people believe they were too distant from God to reconnect with Him.

“The worst thing anybody can do to this generation is make them feel they are far from God,” she said.

Her remarks highlight her effort to distinguish her long-standing Christian beliefs from the period when she began expressing them more publicly.

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By sharing details of her spiritual history, Dikeh said she hopes to correct assumptions about her faith and emphasise that her journey began long before her public involvement in evangelism.