Apostle Joshua Aghasedo of Powerline Church has said the use of sex toys by married couples does not amount to sin, describing the devices as tools that can help spouses improve their intimate life.
Aghasedo said sex toys should be considered within the context of marriage, stressing that their use by married couples could help address some challenges in their intimate relationship.
The clergyman made the remarks while speaking to his congregation in a video shared on the church’s YouTube channel on Tuesday.
He compared sex toys with common equipment such as cars and mobile phones, arguing that the moral question should be considered based on how and where such devices are used.
“Is using a sex toy a sin? Is driving a car a sin? A car to drive you from here to Dallas, is it a sin? Using the phone, is it a sin? So, the phone is an equipment, right, and car is an equipment,” he said.
Aghasedo, however, disclosed that he had never personally used a sex toy.
“I have never used a sex toy. Let me just say,” he said.
He added that modern technology had produced different devices that could assist married couples in their intimate lives.
“But in this modern day of technology, it’s an equipment. It can help you do the job to 90 per cent, and you finish the remaining 10 per cent. I’m just being real. It can help you,” the pastor said.
The clergyman stressed that his comments were strictly about married couples and should not be understood as an endorsement of sex toys for people outside marriage.
According to him, the use of such devices could, in some circumstances, help couples avoid problems that might arise from difficulties in their intimate relationship.
He said he had previously recommended the use of a sex toy to a married couple after considering their circumstances.
“I have suggested sex toy to a couple before when I look at all the surrounding circumstances, so that somebody won’t go out and other things would follow,” he said.
Aghasedo maintained that the devices should be used only within marriage.
“It’s an equipment to help, to help the process. Sex toy is only for married couples. We are talking within the framework of marriage, right? Not outside. It’s for married couples,” he said.
The pastor also drew a distinction between the use of sex toys by couples together and their individual use.
According to him, when a person uses a sex toy alone, he considers the act to be masturbation. He further linked masturbation to fornication based on his religious interpretation.
“Now, if you engage it on your own, it’s called masturbation and another word for masturbation is fornication,” he said.
He repeated that his position was based on the marital setting, saying, “It’s within the marital context.”
The comments have added to the continuing debate in Nigeria over the use of sex toys, particularly among married couples.
Sexual intimacy remains a private and sensitive subject in many Nigerian homes, with discussions around it often shaped by religious beliefs, cultural values and personal views. The growing availability of sexual health information and intimate products has, however, led to more open conversations about relationships and sexual wellbeing.
Sex toys are among the products used by some couples to improve intimacy or deal with sexual difficulties. Supporters generally argue that consenting married couples should be able to decide what works for their relationship, provided the practice does not cause harm.
However, religious views on the subject vary. Some Christian and Muslim leaders have raised moral concerns about certain sexual practices, while others place greater emphasis on whether an act takes place within a lawful marriage.
Among Christians, views are also not uniform. Some churches oppose the use of sex toys on the grounds that sexual activity should follow traditional forms of intimacy between husband and wife. Others focus more on mutual consent, the welfare of the couple and the boundaries of marriage.
Aghasedo’s position appears to fall within the latter approach, although he placed a clear limit on his view by restricting the use of sex toys to married couples.
His comments also reflect a wider discussion about the changing role of technology in personal relationships. As technology has become part of everyday life, various devices and products are increasingly being used to address personal and relationship needs.
The pastor’s comparison of sex toys with cars and mobile phones was aimed at presenting them as tools whose moral value, in his view, depends on how they are used.
At the same time, his warning against individual use shows that his position is based on a particular religious understanding of sexuality rather than a blanket approval of all forms of sex-toy use.
The issue is likely to remain controversial because of the strong influence of religion on family and sexual matters in Nigeria. While some couples may see such products as a private matter, religious leaders and family counsellors often approach the subject from different moral and social perspectives.
Aghasedo’s comments have therefore opened another conversation about whether the use of sex toys within marriage should be treated as a moral issue or simply as a private choice between consenting spouses.
For the pastor, the key distinction is marriage. His argument is that sex toys, when used by married couples as an aid to their intimate life, should not automatically be treated as sinful.
He nevertheless maintained that the same practice outside the marital setting falls outside the boundaries of his teaching.