Pastor Solomon Folorunsho: Lifting Displaced Persons, Orphans And Widows With Education, Skills

Unlike his contemporaries, who concentrate on the spirituality of their flock, Pastor Solomon Folorunsho focuses on the total well-being of his congregation.

While others stopped at being general overseers and founders of their ministries, Folorunsho runs the Home for the Needy Foundation, where he feeds the hungry, clothes the naked, and trains orphans and persons displaced by insurgency in the North East zone from primary school through university.

The results from his humanitarian activities at his sprawling camp in Uhogua, Ovia North East local government area of Edo State are striking: over 40 students who started life in the camp have graduated from the University of Benin (UNIBEN), including Tada Ayuba, who earned a first-class degree in Law. Additionally, nine graduated in Anatomy from Ekiti State University recently, while the centre has produced 11 medical doctors and 25 lawyers, as well as numerous professionals in other fields.

The impact extends far beyond Nigeria’s borders. Ishaku Amos, a native of Gwoza in Borno State, is a powerful testament to this transformation. Once displaced by insurgency, he is now pursuing a PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Illinois, Chicago in the United States (US), sponsored by Folorunsho.

All these humanitarian activities of the centre are gaining momentum at a time when Nigeria continues to grapple with displacement, poverty, and social inequality.

Pastor Folorunsho stands out as a symbol of compassion-driven leadership and grassroots nation-building.

As the overseer of the International Christian Centre for Missions and founder of the Home for the Needy Foundation, his life’s work has become a beacon of hope for thousands of vulnerable Nigerians.

His journey began in 1991 when he established the International Christian Centre for Missions, inspired by what he described as a divine vision. A year later, he created the Home for the Needy as the ministry’s humanitarian arm, dedicated to caring for orphans, widows, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and other disadvantaged groups.

Over the decades, this initiative has grown into a sprawling camp in Uhogua, which is now widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most impactful faith-based humanitarian centres.

The Uhogua camp serves as a refuge for thousands, particularly children displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency in northern Nigeria. In total, the centre has provided shelter, food, education, and healthcare to more than 4,000 children, many of them orphans and about 500 widows and missionaries. Beyond immediate relief, the initiative has evolved into a model for sustainable human development.

One of the most remarkable aspects of the centre’s work is its emphasis on education and capacity building. Hundreds of beneficiaries have been sponsored through Nigerian universities, with consistent yearly admissions into tertiary institutions.

Beyond education, the centre plays a critical role in rehabilitation and social reintegration. It has transformed the lives of street children, victims of violence and those from broken homes, equipping them with life skills and restoring their dignity. Many have gone on to become productive members of society.

Pastor Folorunsho’s influence also spans missionary work and advocacy. His ministry has planted several churches and trained missionaries deployed across Nigeria and internationally. He has also drawn attention to harmful cultural practices such as “money marriage” in parts of Cross River State.

Recognised for his service, he has received honours including the Kwame Nkrumah Servant Leadership Award and LEADERSHIP Newspaper’s Social Impact Person of the Year (2022).