…Even as a boy, Sam’s life was anchored on “service to God and discipline – Chidoka
LAGOS, NIGERIA – The iNews Times | Former Aviation Minister, Osita Chidoka, has penned an emotional tribute to his younger brother, Bishop Sam Okwy Chidoka, as he marks his 50th birthday – calling him “a man of grace, purpose, and discipline.”
In a heartfelt reflection shared on 8 August 2025, Chidoka painted a vivid picture of their shared upbringing in Williams Layout, Akowonjo, Lagos, where his younger brother was a fixture at church choir practices and fellowship. Even as a boy, he said, Sam’s life was anchored on “service to God and discipline.”
Their academic paths intertwined at the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus (UNEC), where Sam served as Students’ Union President while pursuing a degree in Business Management. Despite the pressures of student leadership, Chidoka recalled, his brother remained committed to their mutual pact to graduate with at least a second-class upper.
Sam’s professional journey began at NAL Bank, later moving through the ranks at UBA, DLM, and Planet Capital. Chidoka admitted with brotherly pride that while he doesn’t fully know how Sam secured some of these roles, what was clear was his “focus, persistence, and growth into an expert in capital markets, financial advisory, and fundraising.”
Unlike his elder brother, Sam stayed away from politics and the Abuja power circles. “My friends and colleagues don’t know him and he never did business with government in Abuja,” Chidoka wrote. Yet the Chidoka surname, he noted, was both an advantage and a barrier, at times opening doors, other times closing them abruptly.
Several years ago, Sam approached his brother not for help, but with a business vision. That vision became Kairos Capital, into which Osita invested, later calling it “one of my best performing investments.” Today, that seed has matured into Anchoria Advisory Services Ltd., where Sam serves as CEO of the Anchoria Group – an emerging powerhouse in asset management and financial services.
Despite his business success, Sam has never left his first calling. From choir member to pastor, and now Bishop of The Vibe Church, his life, Chidoka said, has been “one of grace and purpose.”
The tribute also touched on Sam’s personal life. He married his childhood sweetheart, Gladys, whom he met in the choir and together they have raised “disciplined, thoughtful boys” over a marriage spanning decades.
“As he marks his fiftieth year,” Chidoka concluded, “I join a grateful chorus of voices to pray for a future led by the Spirit, guided by grace, and rich with the fulfilment of purpose. On behalf of Chidinma and the children, I say: Happy Birthday, dear brother. May the next chapter unfold with greater joy, deeper faith, and even brighter days.”
