Artist: Cornelius Benjamin
Song: Imara Nma
Album: JESUS BE OGA 2
Track: 14
Genre: Gospel
Language: Igbo
Released: June 11, 2001
Duration: 2:05
Label: 5737480 Records DK
We have finally reached the last track on JESUS BE OGA 2, and “Imara Nma” is a fitting way for Cornelius Benjamin to close the album.
Released in 2001, “Imara Nma” is the 14th and final song on the project. It runs for just over two minutes, making it another short but straightforward gospel recording from an album that has remained available to listeners for more than two decades.
The title “Imara Nma” is an Igbo expression centred around the idea of goodness and beauty. In the context of gospel music, it carries the sense of recognising and celebrating the goodness of God.
What makes this song especially interesting is where it sits on the album. JESUS BE OGA 2 starts with “JEHOVA MAZURU” and takes listeners through songs such as “EZI ENYI,” “NKEM APUGHI ICHE,” “OLU OMA GI EBUKA,” “OBU JEHOVA,” “ONYE UKWU,” “NANI GI” and “HEAVENLY RACE.” It then moves through “GOD IS GREATER,” “ODUM NKE EBOH JUDAH,” “YOU ARE THE LORD,” “THERE IS NOTHING” and “M’GA ESO GI (ONYE NZOPUTAM)” before ending with “Imara Nma.”
So, listening to the album in order gives you a good picture of the kind of gospel music Cornelius Benjamin was making in that period. The songs are direct, heavily faith focused and often use Igbo expressions that make the message feel very close to home.
And the song has not completely disappeared with the old records. “Imara Nma” remains one of the recognised songs in Cornelius Benjamin’s catalogue, with Apple Music and Audiomack still listing it among his notable recordings.
Interestingly, Cornelius Benjamin later released another song called “Imara Nma Nna” in January 2026. That newer song is a separate release, so it shouldn’t be confused with this original “Imara Nma” from JESUS BE OGA 2.
More than 20 years later, “Imara Nma” remains a nice example of the older Nigerian gospel sound and a reminder of how much indigenous language was part of gospel music before today’s more contemporary sound became dominant.
Listen to Cornelius Benjamin – IMARA NMA using the audio player below and enjoy the final track from JESUS BE OGA 2.
