Lekan Fasina is the Lead Pastor, Ignite Church, United Kingdom. He has been running a university ministry, a publishing house and charity organisations. In this interview with SEGUN KASALI, he shared his how his journey began, and other issues relating to his life.
DID you actually grow up in Mushin?
I was born in Mushin, Lagos. My parents later moved to Ire Akari Estate, Isolo, Lagos where they bought their land and built a property. When we were in Mushin, our then landlord, Alhaji Adeola, used to ask for my school result after every term. I think the reason was because he was just a good man and understood the importance of academic excellence. Then, my dad worked in Central Bank of Nigeria but was posted to Benin City branch. I remember that Ebenezer Obey and Orlando Owoh lived not too far from our house. I remember Palm Avenue and I remember that there was a shop that looks exactly like Domino’s in Mushin. Like I said, we later moved to Isolo.
What were your experiences at Isolo?
Isolo was lovely. Obviously, again I was a child. I remember my primary school, Ireakari Estate Model Primary School. It was one of the Jakande schools but ours was in a very beautiful estate. A lot of families who were staff of Central Bank of Nigeria at that time had invested in that school and they made it very lovely. I remember becoming head boy of the school. I started working hard from an early age. In those days in Isolo, there was a very well known tutoring centre called Apata Memorial Lesson. At that time, private schools were not common in Nigeria even though there were likes of Corona, Ewenla and a few. At that time, Mr Apata had two wives -Mama Ayo and Mama Bola. Mama Bola, who was the younger wife at a time, was my teacher and she taught me speed, and accuracy in mathematics. Though te lessons I received from her affected my primary school work, I did well academically.
How did you survive academically amongst other brilliant minds at Federal Government College, Odogbolu?
There were so many big names when I was there, but something I noticed in year one was a particular public day while we were in boarding school. Some boys took a ball and said we were going to play football, while some others took their textbooks and said they were going to the library. I could have gone with either of the two groups. So, I went with the library group. And I noticed that amongt the group of people who went to the library that I was the slowest reader. And for the first time, I saw something.
What was that?
The ability to take a textbook and read it from the beginning to the end and I am talking about children who were ages 10 and 11. That experience shocked me but changed my life. That day shaped the most enjoyable part of my childhood and that experience affected my professional life positively.
How did it affect you positively?
After that day, I found out that you could be the best in test and examinations. All through my JSS 1, I took either 3rd or 4th position in class. Thereafter, I continued to use those skills learnt from those kids. Mind you, I was never a mathematician, but I didn’t fail mathematics. Meanwhile, I did something. In the beginning of my year two in the first term, I took my mathematics textbook and finished it by practising all the questions twice within first two weeks of the term which was usually dedicated for registration. So, I won the mathematics prize that year even though I was not a mathematician, I was able to achieve that through the technique of taking a textbook and finishing it up. Eventually, I became the first to reckon with in class, but it was bigger than being first. I think right from my second year, I was already used to knowing more than the school curriculum. At the end of JSS 3, I had one of the best results. So, between JSS 3 and SSS 1, it was another significant milestone in my life and very important.
Really?
Yes. What happened was that there was a particular factor that helped me and don’t forget I was born in Mushin and thereafter moved to Isolo. I was one of the later children of my parents. At the time I was in boarding school, we had moved to Owode-Iyewa, Egbado. My father, who retired as a director from central bank, was a community builder. He had a very good name and developed communities including bringing a new bank. So, my point is I could not get good television connection to Lagos. Yes, the TV came on but it was not as clear as when we lived in Lagos. So, we had two or three TV’s but I never watched them. I watched maybe a few VHS video. So, I got home that holiday and I went into a store. On getting there, I saw a physics textbook called Nelkon and Parker. So, at the beginning of a three-month holiday, I read the book but did not understand it. So, I went to my cousins who had used the textbook for examinations and they explained to me better, but after getting a good grasp of chapter three of the Physics textbook, nobody taught me physics ever again. It just opened doors and I continued that principle. During that holiday, I finished the whole of the textbook before coming to school. It means I had finished what they were going to teach us in three years from that start of the three years. The textbook I finished at home was more complex than the one used in school. So, when we resumed, I had friends who I join to read ahead. Another significant event that happened to me during this period was that I started attending school fellowship and I gave my life to Christ. I gradually become a leader in church. So, my friends and I were church boys but we loved to study and then something significant happened again.
Again?
Yes. I remember a day no teacher was around and I divided the board into four parts and I wrote all the physics formulas on the board. I don’t know what led me to do that. At that time, anybody reading anything without understanding would bring such text to me for better explanation. I remember rich kids in the school back then would go to America, Canada and other countries and bring physics textbooks and I would read many of them many times. So, at the end of SSS 2, they were now looking for students who would represent Ogun State in a science competition called Junior Engineers, Technicians, and Scientists (JETS) competition. So, after going through many tests, they chose a few of us and I was chosen to the leader of the group for our school. Later, we started inter-school competition in Ogun State until the state government chose four students to represent the state and I was in that group as the captain. We travelled and represented Ogun State in old Gongola State. I remember in the quiz, Ogun State came third and I think we came second overall. I remember receiving the trophy on behalf of Ogun State. I also remember being invited to a dinner with the then governor, Oladeinde Olusoga Joseph. My parents were also invited. I also remember that our school was star-studded but made possible by our seniors. Some of them were Joshua Ilebare, Isaac Arewa, Debo Ademola, and Ibukun Aina. So, when I returned back to school after the competition, I was celebrated. And in my final year, I became the head boy and also Pastor of the school fellowship.
You then proceeded to University of Ibadan?
Yes. This is where it gets tricky. I was there originally to study medicine, but spent more time preaching. And medicine has a lot of materials to consume. So, I was not successful in medical school. Instead, what I did with my time in Nigeria was that I had a youth ministry. So, I matured the ministry into a publishing ministry and I wrote books that till today I am very proud of. During ASUU strike in the university at that time, I was attracted to the ministry and I was young. I did not have a time where I was unserious.
Did you eventually finish your academic programme?
No, because if you are in medical school for a while and don’t pass your exams, you won’t be allowed to continue. And the truth is that whatever you don’t spend time with, you soon lose respect for.
Did your parents feel bad, having known you to be academically brilliant and serious?
I think the news must have been getting been getting to them at the time. Some of the rumours must have been that Lekan was seen in Kano or somewhere holding a crusade. At that time, there was probably no major university hall that I did not fill. So, that was why I said I was not lazy. I was busy doing something else. To be honest, I knew they were heartbroken but there was also a lot of good favour in the tank. I made them proud. I think they were sad but somebody gave my father my books and he loved them while waiting for me to come home. But, I did not go home immediately. There was a time I said daddy, I don’t need your money anymore because I was making money through books. People had started seeing me as a prophet, man of God, and miracle worker at a time I was supposed to be studying medicine. As at the time I left Nigeria, I had preached in big church evets, in 30 Nigerian universities and in more than 300 secondary
schools. We give glory and adoration to God, looking at where we are today. I can tell you that at Ignite Church UK, we are one of the few churches with a whole department dedicated to academic mentoring. For the adults, we have millionaires’ club, where Mr Festus Arishe belongs. Adults are learning to do well. Children are learning to do well too.
You met your wife during this time?
Yes. I met her while holding a university-wide Christian event called Fire Conference at the University of Ibadan and she was one of the volunteers. So, I went to visit the volunteers and there was like a music training for the event. I remember passing by the row she was and I heard her voice. I told the coordinator that this person must lead the music during the event. And she now told me later that she had never led music before. She has a powerful voice. So, we met and we started courting and by next year, we will be married for 25 years. So, she left for the United Kingdom almost immediately after our marriage and I joined her 1 year after.
But when did you ask her out?
So, after the event, I went round and I wrote thank you notes which I gave to all the volunteers. I would visit someone and I would give them a thank you letter. So, I went to girls’ hostel, Idia Hall of University of Ibadan and some of the ladies started asking themselves if I visit them. So, the ladies quickly worked out that I did same for every lady and every guy except one girl. But I visited her more than others. In the family, I am blessed to have a wife who is the doer while I am the visioner. God has been so merciful to us. To the glory of God, our son attended Eton College, the most famous private school in the world. Now, he is doing Law at Exeter. Then, my 14-year-old daughter wrote a book at age 10.
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