Within Christendom, there are charismatic preachers, there are passionate philanthropists and there are change agents. But one man who encapsulates all these qualities and more is the Founder of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), Pastor Daniel Kolawale Olukoya.
Despite his acclaim, Dr. Olukoya’s humility is second to none, little wonder he has remained clean as a whistle, scandal-free as well as an epitome of integrity. Fondly called DKO, by admirers and followers, the Man of God was born in Ondo, to a Police officer father and a trader mother. Apart from being a policeman, his father was also a Pastor at the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC). This explains why he was raised with high Christian principles and values.
The fearless and God-fearing man of God, who is blessed with a first-class brain, is a first-rate performer. This is a man, who has out of a dint of hard work, a sense of purpose, and dedication to propagating the undiluted Word of God has grown his ministry from his home to a mega-brand with branches in many countries of the world.
The ever-cool and composed Dr. Olukoya’s journey to the global stage started quite early in life when he attended St. John’s CAC Primary School, Akure. There, he was recognized as an exceptionally intelligent child coming tops throughout his stay at the school. When his family moved to Lagos, he continued his education at Saint Jude’s Primary School, Ebute Metta, and of course, he finished with excellent results.
From there, he was admitted into the prestigious Methodist Boys’ High School (MBHS) on Broad Street, Lagos. Two things shaped Pastor Olukoya’s outlook on life and future while at MBHS. In the first place, it was at MBHS that he accepted Jesus Christ, and became born again. A decision that he improved upon with time, coming out as the exemplary Champion he is today. Again, it was here that he received a major motivational quote that propelled him to excellence. He had an Indian teacher who told them in class; “Boys, if you want to escape poverty, READ YOUR BOOK!” Like a church bell, the lines reverberated in his subconscious, making him burn the midnight oil regularly, and studying from 9 pm to 3 am daily. It was no surprise that he graduated as the best student of his set!
Later, he gained admission into the University of Lagos, Akoka in 1976 to study Microbiology. No one was surprised when he again graduated with a First Class degree in 1980. His achievement was huge because Olukoya set a record as the first person to have made a first-class in the department, and his G.P.A scores remained unmatched for about 30 years. Such a great fear.
His brilliance catapulted him to greater heights as he won a scholarship soon after graduation to study Molecular Genetics at the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) level at the University of Reading, United Kingdom. He dusted the program within three years and returned to Nigeria to join the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Yaba, where his reputation as an exceptional Geneticist of African origin became established.
Olukoya emerged as an authority in the study of genetics and has followed up his exploits with the publication of over 70 scientific papers in a short spell – yet another record in his anal of records. He also taught Genetics and was an external examiner in a number of universities. Moreover, he has attended and presented papers at scientific conferences on almost all continents of the world. Even today, DKO continues to contribute to the field of genetics and biotechnology via the Daniel & Fola Biotechnology Foundation, a registered NGO established to empower Nigerian citizens with modern and contemporary laboratory skills in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology It is on record, and incontrovertibly too that throughout his years in school, Olukoya was committed to the service of the Lord Jesus Christ.
His passion for Christ and his spiritual fire increased tremendously during his doctoral program in the United Kingdom. His kingdom outlook was heavily influenced by the ways of life of the late founder of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Apostle Joseph Ayodele Babalola.
He described Babalola thus in one of his books:
“Apostle Joseph Ayodele Babalola was a minister of God who understood the power of prayer. He was a man mightily used by God to ignite the fire of the first Christian revival in Nigeria in the 1930s. Brother J.A. and his team of aggressive prayer warriors entered forbidden forests, silenced demons that demanded worship, and paralyzed deeply rooted anti-gospel activities. Sometimes, beginning from the highest places, they openly disgraced satanic agents, emptied hospitals by the healing power of the Lord Jesus Christ, rendered witchdoctors jobless, and started the first indigenous Holy Ghost-filled church in Nigeria. So far – and we stand to be corrected – none has equaled, let alone surpassed this humble brother He described Babalola thus in one of his books: in the field of aggressive evangelism in this country.
The works of Dr. Daniel Olukoya are published by the Battle Cry Christian Ministries. These published works include over 250 life-changing Christian books (as of July 2015), audio tapes and CDs, video discs, and many more.
