“Now and Always”: Jimmy Odukoya Marks 20 Years Without His Mother, Pastor Bimbo Odukoya

It’s not every day you see a public figure open up so honestly about grief, especially grief that has lived with them for twenty long years. That’s exactly what actor-turned-pastor Jimmy Odukoya did as he paid a heartfelt tribute to his mother, the late Pastor Bimbo Odukoya, two decades after her passing. For anyone who lived through the mid-2000s in Nigeria, her name brings back a lot of memories.

If you’re not familiar with him outside Nollywood headlines, Jimmy Odukoya is one of those multi-hyphenate figures who has slowly carved a reputation for himself both on screen and behind the pulpit.

He’s known for starring in several Nollywood films, but many people around the world discovered him after his role in The Woman King, where he appeared alongside Viola Davis. Beyond acting, Jimmy is also a fitness enthusiast, motivational speaker, and, in a twist of life that seems to have quietly been planned for him, the lead pastor of Fountain of Life Church, a major Lagos church founded by his parents.

It wasn’t always the path he imagined for himself. He has said several times that he never really saw himself becoming a pastor, but life has a way of nudging you exactly where you’re meant to be.

Pastor Bimbo wasn’t just “a pastor”. She was a household name, especially in the early 2000s. Bright, charismatic, and deeply relatable, she was best known for her teachings on relationships and marriage.

If you grew up watching Christian TV at the time, you probably came across her programme “Single & Married,” where she mixed humour, truth, and real talk in a way that felt refreshingly modern for the era.

She was also one of the founding pastors of Fountain of Life Church, alongside her husband, Pastor Taiwo Odukoya. Together, they built a ministry that has shaped thousands of lives across Nigeria and beyond.

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Sadly, Pastor Bimbo’s life was cut short on 11 December 2005. She was one of the victims of the Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145 crash, one of the most devastating aviation accidents in Nigeria’s history.

The crash claimed the lives of students from Loyola Jesuit College, church members, professionals, families, and Pastor Bimbo herself, who was just 45 years old at the time. The news sent shockwaves through the country. 

Marking the 20th anniversary of her passing, Jimmy took to Instagram to reflect on how much time has passed and how deeply her presence still lingers in his life.

He wrote about carrying her with him every day, how her rings stay close to his heart, and how he still measures moments of his life through the lens of her absence.

One of the most touching parts of his tribute was his admission that his mum had always predicted he would end up a pastor. In the most “African mum knows best” twist ever, she turned out to be right.

“Guess what?! You sure were right! I did end up becoming a pastor. The whole time I thought you were crazy, but I guess the joke is on me!”

Today, Jimmy leads the Fountain of Life Church, the same ministry his parents built from the ground up. Stepping into that responsibility hasn’t been small by any means, but his tribute shows that he sees it as a continuation of what his parents began, not just a job title.

Twenty years later, Jimmy Odukoya is living out the legacy she prepared him for.