Nurse Tonia returns with Jesus Na Otokinado

Gospel artiste and member of the Performing Musicians Employers’ Association of Nigeria, Ann Uwa-Anthony, popularly known as Nurse Tonia, has returned to the music scene with a new single, Jesus Na Otokinado.

The comeback is after years away from active music, during which she pursued a career in nursing and eventually settled in the United States of America.

Speaking on her return, Nurse Tonia said the decision to resume her music career was the fulfilment of a dream she had been unable to fully pursue when she first entered the industry.

Born into a musical family, Tonia moved to Lagos with her sibling, Ras Murphy Van Anthony, at the age of 15 following the death of their father in Benin, Edo State.

The siblings reportedly spent more than a year without a permanent home as they struggled to survive in the city.

Music eventually became part of their survival as they performed at local shows and bars whenever opportunities arose, earning what they could while developing their craft.

Their activities later led to Tonia’s registration with PMAN in the 1990s. However, she said financial constraints prevented her from taking her music career further at the time.

She said, “I would have done this project years back because we were born into music, but we didn’t have the backbone. Those days, you had to look for sponsors.”

Speaking on how she gets inspiration, the singer said, “It’s a gift. Sometimes I’ll be at my job, and the melody will come to me, I’ll excuse myself and record it on my device, and from there more parts will come to me to form the body of the song,”

Naomi Chima is an entertainment and lifestyle correspondent at Punch Newspapers with over three years of experience. She covers Nigerian entertainment, culture, and social events, conducts personality interviews, and contributes to features across desks. Her work demonstrates hands-on newsroom experience, editorial judgment, and a commitment to engaging, accurate, and audience-focused journalism.