His Background
Abel Idakwoji Awodi grew up as the first son of Late Sgt. Idakwoji Matthew Awodi (rtd.) and Grace Matthew Idakwoji amongst other nine siblings in a family of a strong Christian faith. The father Sgt. Idakwoji Matthew Awodi (rtd.) was an officer of the Nigerian army while the mother is a business woman who does buying and selling to uplift her home and support the family.
He was born on 16th August 1974 at Iyale, Dekina Local Government area, Kogi state Nigeria. He spent his early childhood at Jaji Army Barrack Kaduna State between 1976 to 1980 before the family moved over to Borno State following a massive army redeployment which landed them at Nguru barracks.
Life in the barrack taught him a lot about discipline, respect, servitude and socialization.
- Iyale
His Childhood
He had a quality childhood life living in a community of other army children of different religion and from different ethnic groups in Nigeria. This experience prepared him for his evangelical journey of today which knows no boundary ethnology-religiously.
Abel impacted so many lives as a child-teacher at St. Anthony’s catholic church Nguru where he taught many other children at catechism classes. He was also an alter knight (formerly known as mass servant) at the church where he first made himself available to serve God at his alter.
His Educational Background
He was enrolled at Army science primary school Nguru (formerly Borno state) Yobe state for his primary education between 1980 and 1986. Immediately after his primary education he enrolled for secondary education at Government Secondary School Abejokolo-ife, Omala LGA in Kogi State.
At this time, his secondary education was delayed due to the challenges coupled with his father’s sickness in 1990 after his Junior WAEC. Being the first son of the family, he had to sacrifice some time away from education to take care of his sick father and assist his hardworking mother.
He later lost his father in 1995 just immediately he finished his secondary school education. The unfortunate death of his father deprived him the so much desired opportunity to further his education because he had siblings who look up to him for support and he cannot possibly leave all the obligation to his mother alone.
In 1995, Abel went into agriculture in other to support his family. He ventured into crop cultivation.
In the year 2000, he got a job at Fedex courier service. Knowing that agriculture is capital intensive, he needed a job to supplement his farm input.
From Fedex, he got a better job at Total Oil Nigeria in 2004. He worked at Total Oil between 2004 and 2009 before he retired to answer the call of God.
His Early Evangelism
Faced with realities of life, Evang. Abel Idokwoji Awodi was compelled to be of service to humanity and God. He, of all people knew how life changed drastically for him when he suddenly lost his father to death. The suffering and hardship. As a humanitarian, he understood perfectly well that no child deserves to pass through the same pain. He wished he could save all the rest of the children who are “not by choice” made orphan. He wished he could take them all away from the streets and be a father to them all. If and if only he could, he would. He started small with 3 orphans in 2009.
He established Echoes of grace orphanage home which is now housing over 30 orphans and underprivileged people.