How Walter and Winifred Akpani spread Christmas cheer at Augustine University

Since my brother passed and I became a surrogate to the children he left behind, they have alternated between calling me Dad or Uncle depending, usually, on how happy they are with me.

I have never really minded because my own biological children sometimes call me Toni Kan as the spirit moves them.

So, I was a bit apprehensive when I got a Whatsapp message from one of them, an undergraduate at Augustine University, Ilara-Epe, Lagos.

“Uncle, please call me!”

“Are you alright?” I asked when I finally dredged up courage to call.

“Some people from your village came to our school today.”

“Which village?” I asked.

“Ibusa,” came the answer.

“You are from Ibusa too and it is not a village,” I tried to explain as I have done a hundred times.

The “people from my village” were Sir Walter and Dame Winifred Akpani who it turns out had attended the dedication of the Chapel they built, furnished and donated to Augustine University under the Lagos Archdiocese.

It must have been a moment of pride for a child who has always claimed Lagos as home and perpetuated the city and village binary.

Described as “something out of this world” by the priest who anchored the event, the chapel of Mary Mother of the Church which can seat 1,200 people was dedicated on Monday, December 16, 2024, on the campus of Augustine University, Ilara-Epe.

The dedication offered an opportunity for a comingling of Archbishops and faithful drawn from the Lagos, Abuja and Ijebu-ode dioceses.

According to the University’s website: “The dedication was presided over by the Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Lagos and Proprietor of Augustine University, His Grace, Most Rev. Dr. Alfred Adewale Martins, who delivered a profound homily. He was supported by the Archbishop of Abuja Catholic Archdiocese, His Grace Most. Rev. Dr. Ignatius Ayau Kaigama and the Bishop of Ijebu-Ode Catholic Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Francis Obafemi Adesina.”

They were joined by the Visioner of Augustine University and Archbishop Emeritus of Lagos, His Eminence Anthony Cardinal Okogie and over 100 priests in the celebration of the Holy Mass followed by the “sacred anointing of the altar and walls of the church, as well as the decoration and incensation of the altar and the entire chapel, symbolizing the consecration of the space as a place of worship and reflection.”

The foundation of the chapel was laid in 2019. It was created by Teresa Mallamaci, an acclaimed Italian architect based in Rome and has been realised as “a harmonious blend of Christological and Mariological motif” with the resulting edifice seamlessly melding “aesthetic elegance with spiritual symbolism.”

The brand new Chapel of Mary Mother of the church features two distinct side chapels; one dedicated to Eucharistic Adoration with a sacred space for prayers and meditation and another which will be used for celebrating weekday masses or for smaller congregations.

Rev. Fr. Andrew Toye was unveiled as the new chaplain of the chapel and he takes over from Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Ogundele, who had served with dedication in an acting capacity.

The chaplain has a purpose-built home contiguous to the chapel and both facilities have been provided with generators to ensure round-the-clock power,

Sir Walter Akpani who holds a master of science degree in Finance from the University of Strathclyde, Scotland is the managing director/CEO of wave-making Providus Bank which inked a celebrated merger with Unity Bank in mid-2024.

With over 30 years of financial experience, Walter Akpani was a pioneer staff of ICON Stockbrokers, before joining the restructuring team at Commercial Trust Bank, becoming a pioneer staff at Standard Trust Bank Plc now United Bank for Africa (UBA) as well as at Platinum Bank Ltd which he left as Vice President, Institutional Banking, to set up United Mortgage Bank Limited, which has now metamorphosed into Providus Bank. He is a respected Treasurer in the Nigerian banking industry and a committed change agent.

A devout Catholic, Walter Akpani was invested as a Knight of St. Sylvester in September 2024 when he received papal honours from Pope Francis alongside others – Lady Christine Doja Otedola, Julius Olufunsho Britto, Peter Amangbo and Peter Nwanze – in recognition of “their dedication and exceptional service to the Church in different Apostolates.”

Dame Winifred Akpani, a member of the Governing Council, Augustine University and past chairman of the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) is a graduate of Mathematics from the University of Benin.  Driven, diligent and resilient, she is the founder and CEO of Northwest Petroleum & Gas Ltd, Rosarium Lubricants, Northwest Energy Ltd, Millennium Oil & Gas Ltd with interests in the upstream and downstream sectors of the Nigerian oil and gas industry. Northwest Petroleum & Gas Ltd is one of Nigeria’s biggest downstream players and owns two tank farms, 200 distribution trucks and over 100 petrol stations spread across the country.

Those are the people from my village who went to spread Christmas cheer at St Augustine University.

Kan Onwordi is a PR expert and financial analyst.