Stephen Akintayo hosts 4-hour gospel praise marathon

In celebration of his 40th birthday, Stephen Akintayo, founder of Gtext Holdings, held a four-hour praise celebration held at the Oriental Hotel.

To commemorate the milestone, Akintayo hosted a marathon praise event, featuring an intense worship session led by Steve Hills and Tkeyz. The atmosphere was further energized with dance ministrations from Blessing Lopez and gospel singer Onos Ariyo.

One of the notable goodwill messages at the event came from Cosmas Maduka, founder and chairman of the Coscharis Group, who described Akintayo as a rare individual with an exceptional heart.

“Dr. Stephen Akintayo is a young man who scares his fears. I am shocked he is 40; one would think he is much older. He walks with seasoned and established people. He has washed his hands with the elders and can eat with them. Considering what he has achieved at this age, I am convinced that there is much more ahead,” Maduka said.

Also speaking at the celebration, former Inspector-General of Police, Mike Okiro, reflected on his early encounters with Akintayo in the industry, describing him as humble and deeply rooted despite his success.

“I have known Dr. Stephen for a very long time, and I am grateful to see how far God has brought him. Many people get to this height and forget their roots, but Dr. Stephen is different. He constantly acknowledges his source, and that is why we are all gathered here to celebrate God in his life,” Okiro said.

Mrs. Godfrey Ogbechie, wife of the Group Managing Director, Rain Oil lauded Stephen for his strides in real estate.

“Dr. Stephen is a great man. I have watched and read about him afar. Then we became close, I am grateful for that. He is a very focused and industrious young man,” she added.

From the Bahamas, Dr. Dave Burrows, Lead Pastor of Bahamas Faith Ministries International, also sent his goodwill message to the celebrant.

The event was attended by several dignitaries, including Pastor Godman Akinlabi, Global Lead Pastor of The Elevation Church; Pastor Seun Osigbesan and Seun Osigbesan; Tope Mark-Odigie, entrepreneur and Co-host of TVC’s Your View, Zaaki Azzay, a renowned Nigerian singer, among others.

Born in the Gonge area of Maiduguri, Borno State, Akintayo began his entrepreneurial journey with Gilead Balm Group, a company that initially provided database-driven marketing solutions, helping Nigerians reach prospects through curated phone-number databases. The business later evolved into what is now known as Gtext Holdings.