About Taiwo Odukoya

EARLY BEGINNINGS
All he ever wanted to do in life was make a difference in other people’s lives. And as a child, he thought the only way to accomplish this was to be in politics. Several decades later, Daniel Taiwo Odukoya is and has been doing what he has always wanted to do – serve, but not in the sense he imagined. He is catering to the spiritual, emotional and physical needs of multitudes all over the world, and using his God-given resources to raise leaders in every sphere of life.

The founding and senior pastor of The Fountain of Life Church, Pastor Taiwo (as he is fondly called), was born on June 15, 1956 in Kaduna. He had his primary and secondary education at BaptistPrimary School, Kaduna and St. Paul’s College Zaria respectively, before proceeding to the University of Ibadan 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. He sat on different policy-drafting committees at the corporation before his voluntary retirement in 1994, and was involved in the fashioning of some key policies that are still in use in the Nigerian oil industry today.

MINISTRY – THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE CHURCH
The Fountain of Life Church was born in 1992 after Pastor Taiwo was formally released and sent forth, with his wife of blessed memory, Abimbola, by the presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM) to start a new work. With a membership of less than 20 at inception, the Church has today become one of the most influential Pentecostal denominations in the country with a congregation of over 8,000 at its headquarters, and has nurtured and released scores of local assemblies across the country. In addition, it has missions in the United Kingdom, United States of America, Switzerland and South Africa. It also has missions in Kenya, Central Africa Republic, Republic of Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Republic of Benin and Togo.

At the core of his ministry is building relationship, developing leadership and enabling (or encouraging) enterprise.

Pastor Taiwo’s heart beats constantly for the underprivileged and societal outcasts. His love for the poor and indigent members of the society has found expression in various outreach projects which include:

Grace Springs Medical Centre, which makes available standard and adequate medical care to those in the community who cannot afford it.

The Lord’s Kitchen, which provides good and nourishing meals on a daily basis to people who cannot afford a good meal a day.

Education Support Project, which works to enhance government efforts in the community’s public schools by providing books, desks and other educational materials, and motivating the students and teachers with scholarships and performance recognition awards respectively.

Water Project, which provides boreholes at strategic locations for people who have no access to clean and portable water.

Area Boys Rehabilitation Project, which picks up street boys, assists them to learn a trade or go to school, and even provides accommodation for them. Today, there is a Grace Springs Rehabilitation Home where those who truly want a new lease of life are housed, assisted and eventually reconciled with their parents or guardians.

Grace Springs Vocational Centre, which serves not only the unemployed but also people who wish to augment their income, irrespective of their social status or educational background.

MINISTRY LEADERSHIP
He has mentored, nurtured and supported scores of thriving ministries, ministers and individuals who willingly surrender to his tutelage. A good number of men and women whose lives have been shaped by his ministry are today occupying prominent positions in government, commerce, industry and other spheres of life.

Pastor Taiwo has received numerous awards in recognition of his leadership role in the society and his concern for the less privileged. In 2006, he was voted one of the 12 most inspiring leaders in Nigeria in a survey conducted by Leadership & Lifestyle (a London-based magazine). He is a Life Fellow and Grand Patron of the Institute of Corporate Management, and Fellow of the Certified Directors’ Institute.

NATIONAL REORIENTATION
Pastor Taiwo is a firm believer in the potential of his country Nigeria, and that is why he has personally established and actively invested in various initiatives to rescue the nation from its moral, educational and political decay. His approach centers at what he considers the root of the problem – a value reorientation of the community and its leadership, with the firm belief that that is the only way we can truly expect any positive change in the society. Among the initiatives are:

Discovery for Men, an outreach dedicated to equipping the men folk to fulfill their God-ordained leadership position. Until recently, Pastor Taiwo featured regularly on radio across the country with the Discovery message, and continues to run a leadership column in one of the foremost Nigerian newspapers.
Discovery for Women, an outreach dedicated to equipping the women for leadership position, and spurring them to actually assume this God-ordained position.
Grace Springs Bible College, a ministry and leadership centre.
The Woman Leader, a non-governmental initiative geared towards unveiling the woman leader. To make a difference, the initiative is actively involved in mentoring the woman to mentor other women.

An accomplished author, he has to his credit over 300 publications, including books, articles, seminar papers, etc. His books Unleash Your God-given Potential, Created for Blessings, Limitless, 100 Nuggets of Wisdom for the Man of Significance (Volumes 1&2), Home Affairs, The Proof, The Portrait of a Champion, Environment is Everything, Created for Influence, Get All You Want, Empowered Living, 120 Days of Victory, 121 Days of Blessings and 125 Days of Favour have gained a wide readership both locally and internationally.

Pastor lives in Lagos with his wife, Simangele Rosemary (popularly known as Pastor Nomthi), together with their children.