Taiwo Odukoya

Taiwo Odukoya
Born Daniel Taiwo Odukoya
(1956-06-15) June 15, 1956
Kaduna, Kaduna State, Nigeria
Nationality  Nigeria
Occupation Pastor, Author, Minister
Religion Pentecostal Christianity
Spouse(s)
Children Toluwani Ijogun, Olujimi Odukoya, Tobiloba Odukoya, Timilehin Odukoya, Jomiloju Odukoya
Website The Fountain of Life Church

Taiwo Odukoya is a Nigerian Pentecostal pastor, public speaker and author.[1] He is the senior pastor of The Fountain of Life Church, Ilupeju, Lagos, Nigeria, a Church with a membership strength of over 8,000 people.[2] Prior to his call to the ministry in 1994, Odukoya worked for 12 years as a petroleum engineer with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).[3]

Early life

Taiwo Odukoya was born on the 15th of June, 1956 in the city of Kaduna, Kaduna State, Nigeria, where he was also raised. He had his primary and secondary education at Baptist Primary School, Kigo Road, Kaduna and St. Paul’s College (Now known as Kufena College, Wusasa) Zaria respectively, before proceeding to the University of Ibadan in 1976 where he obtained a degree in petroleum engineering in 1981. As a petroleum engineer, he started work at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in April 1982 after the compulsory one-year national youth service, and served there until his voluntary retirement in January 1994 after his call to the ministry.

Family

In 1980, Odukoya met Bimbo Williams at the University of Ibadan and the two struck a relationship that led to their marriage in 1984. The marriage produced three children, Toluwani, Oluwajimi and Oluwatobi. On the 10th of December, 2005, Bimbo Odukoya, along with 102 other people, died on the crashed Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145.[4] Nigeria mourned. Bimbo Odukoya's messages had been well and widely received by many. On 5 January 2010, five years later, with love and support from family and friends, Taiwo Odukoya got married again to Rosemary Simangele Zulu from South Africa.[5] They have two boys together, Timilehin and Jomiloju.

The Fountain of Life Church

Taiwo and Bimbo Odukoya co-founded The Fountain of Life Church in 1992 with a stated vision "to teach men and women the art of building successful relationships and the principles of leadership so they can be all they are created to be.[6] " The Church has several missions in South Africa, the United Kingdom, United States of America, Switzerland, Kenya, Central Africa Republic, Republic of Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Republic of Benin and Togo.

Outreaches

Odukoya proclaims a firm belief in the role of the church in the community and expresses it through several outreach projects including a hospital, an orphanage, a school for destitute children, a farm,[7] a water project which provides boreholes at strategic locations for people who have no access to clean and portable water[8] and a skill acquisition and entrepreneurial institute for the less privileged.[9] On April 19, 1997, Taiwo Odukoya set up Discovery for Men and Discovery for Women, non-denominational outreaches to men and women designed to help them maximize their God-given potentials.[10] These outreaches reach out to hundreds of thousands of men and women annually through quarterly rallies, mentorship programs[11] and a vocational center to equip them with technical and practical life skills.[12]

Awards and Recognition

In 2006, Taiwo Odukoya was voted one of the 12 most inspiring leaders in Nigeria in a survey conducted by Leadership & Lifestyle (a London-based magazine).

In March 2014 he was named by Evan Carmichael as one of the Top 100 Leadership Experts to Follow on Twitter.[13]

Publications

Taiwo Odukoya is a regular contributor to several Nigerian newspapers and journals including The Guardian, Premium Times, City People and Daily Independent, where he writes on leadership development and relationship building. He is the author of several books including:

References

  1. ↑ Kayode, Alfred (11 December 2011). "Pastor Taiwo Odukoya's Wife Set to Deliver.". The Nation. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  2. ↑ "PASTOR TAIWO ODUKOYA". klwc.org. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  3. ↑ "Founding Pastors". The Fountain Of Life Church. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  4. ↑ "Casualty figure in Nigerian plane crash increases to 107… Pastor Bimbo Odukoya among the dead". Online Nigeria. 11 December 2005. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
  5. ↑ "Pastor Taiwo Odukoya finds love after loss as he weds Rosemary Simangele Zulu". Bellanaija.com. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
  6. ↑ "About Us (TFOLC)". The Fountain Of Life Church. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
  7. ↑ Leke, Alder (16 December 2012). "The Cross and the Crossroad - thoughts on the ongoing Church controversy. Daily Post Nigeria Online". Daily Post Nigeria. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
  8. ↑ "Fountain of Life Church Brings Water to Ilupeju Community.". 247newsupdate.com. 8 February 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
  9. ↑ Segun, Olugbile (23 December 2012). "Odukoya Makes Case for Vocational Training.". The Punch. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  10. ↑ "Men Have Become an Endangered Specie.". Retrieved 21 April 2014.
  11. ↑ "Discovery For Men/About Us.". Retrieved 22 April 2014.
  12. ↑ "Odukoya Seeks Vocational Training for Students.". Retrieved 22 April 2014.
  13. ↑ Evan, Carmichael. "Top 100 Leadership Experts to Follow on Twitter.". Evan Carmichael. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
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