Taiwo Odukoya

Born 1956 in Kaduna, Nigeria, Odukoya went on to study petroleum engineering at the University of Ibadan. In 1980, Odukoya met Bimbo Williams at the University of Ibadan. They married on 3 November 1984 at the Yaba Baptist Church. They had three children; now pastors Tolu Odukoya-Ijogun (b. September 7, 1985) and Jimmy Odukoya (b. April 27, 1987), and Tobi Enuha (b. June 11, 1990).

On 10 December 2005, Bimbo Odukoya, along with 102 other people, died in the crash of Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145.{{cite news|title=Casualty figure in Nigerian plane crash increases to 107… Pastor Bimbo Odukoya among the dead|url=https://nm.onlinenigeria.com/templates/default.aspx?a=6378&z=12|access-date=18 March 2014|newspaper=Online Nigeria|date=11 December 2005}} Five years later, on 5 January 2010, Taiwo Odukoya married Rosemary "Nomthi" Simangele Zulu from South Africa (1974-2021).{{cite web|title=Pastor Taiwo Odukoya finds love after the loss as he weds Rosemary Simangele Zulu |url=http://www.bellanaija.com/2010/01/22/pastor-taiwo-odukoya-finds-love-after-loss/|publisher=Bellanaija.com|access-date=18 March 2014}} They had two boys. Timilehin Odukoya (b. August 26, 2010)and Jomiloju Odukoya (b. December 8, 2011)

In 2014, nine years after the death of his first wife, Odukoya readdressed the matter of the plane crash that made him a widower. He claimed that pastors should use private jets: such aircraft better facilitate pastoral ministry and are a safer means of travel than commercial flights.{{Cite web|date=2014-10-14|title=Odukoya: It's right for church leaders to own jets for safety|url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/10/odukoya-right-church-leaders-air-planes-safety/|access-date=2021-02-21|website=Vanguard News|language=en-US}}

In November 2021, Odukoya lost his second wife to cancer. On 9 November, he said that she "battled cancer for the better part of two years".{{Cite web|last=Fajana|first=Adekunle|date=9 November 2021 |title=Fountain of Life founder, Odukoya loses second wife to cancer|url=https://www.ripplesnigeria.com/fountain-of-life-founder-odukoya-loses-second-wife-to-cancer/|access-date=10 November 2021 |website=Ripples Nigeria |language=en-US}}

A month after Nomthi died, Odukoya then lost his twin sister Kehinde Olufunmilayo Hassan née Odukoya on 26 December 2021, also to cancer.{{cite web|title=Pastor Odukoya suffers another bereavement, loses twin sister|url=https://gazettengr.com/pastor-odukoya-suffers-another-bereavement-loses-twin-sister/|publisher=People's Gazette|access-date=December 31, 2021}}

Odukoya died in the United States on 7 August 2023 at the age of 67.{{Cite web |title=Taiwo Odukoya News Today August 8, 2023 - NewsBreak |url=https://www.ngnews247.com/topic/taiwo-odukoya/ |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=NGNews247 |language=en-US}} Following Odukoya's death, his two eldest children Jimmy and Tolu, respectively became the Senior Pastor and the Associate Senior Pastor of the Fountain of Life Church, from September 2023.{{Cite web |last=Apanpa |first=Olaniyi |date=2023-09-17 |title=Meet Nollywood actor, Jimmy Odukoya, now Senior Pastor Fountain of Life Church |url=https://punchng.com/meet-nollywood-actor-jimmy-odukoya-now-senior-pastor-fountain-of-life-church/ |access-date=2023-09-17 |website=Punch Newspapers |language=en-US}}

Odukoya proclaimed a belief in the role of the church in the community and expressed it through several outreach projects, including a hospital, an orphanage, a school for destitute children, a farm,{{cite news|last=Leke|first=Alder|title=The Cross and the Crossroad - thoughts on the ongoing Church controversy. Daily Post Nigeria Online|url=http://dailypost.ng/2012/12/16/leke-alder-the-cross-crossroad-thoughts-ongoing-church-controversy/|access-date=12 March 2014|newspaper=Daily Post Nigeria|date=16 December 2012}} a water project which provides boreholes at strategic locations for people who have no access to clean and portable water{{cite news|title=Fountain of Life Church Brings Water to Ilupeju Community.|url=http://247nigerianewsupdate.com/fountain-of-life-church-brings-water-to-ilupeju-community/|access-date=12 March 2014|newspaper=247newsupdate.com.|date=8 February 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407102454/http://247nigerianewsupdate.com/fountain-of-life-church-brings-water-to-ilupeju-community/|archive-date=7 April 2014}} and a skill acquisition and entrepreneurial institute for the less privileged.{{cite news|last=Segun|first=Olugbile|title=Odukoya Makes Case for Vocational Training.|url=http://www.punchng.com/education/odukoya-makes-case-for-vocational-training/|access-date=13 March 2014|newspaper=The Punch|date=23 December 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140412095629/http://www.punchng.com/education/odukoya-makes-case-for-vocational-training/|archive-date=12 April 2014}}

On 19 April 1997, Odukoya set up Discovery for Men and Discovery for Women, non-denominational outreaches to men and women. {{cite news|title=Men Have Become an Endangered Specie.|url=http://www.punchng.com/news/men-have-become-endangered-species/|access-date=21 April 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140317143438/http://www.punchng.com/news/men-have-become-endangered-species/|archive-date=17 March 2014}}

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Category:1956 births

Category:2023 deaths

Category:Nigerian Pentecostal pastors

Category:Nigerian Christian clergy

Category:Yoruba Christian clergy

Category:University of Ibadan alumni

Category:People from Kaduna