Tribute To An ‘Uncommon’ Nigerian, Davidson Akhimien As He Marks 60th Birthday

By Frank Oshanugor

For those who have so far, received their invitation; all roads would lead to the Multipurpose Hall of the Nigerian Air Force Officers Wives Association (NAFOWA), Air Force Base, Ikeja Lagos on Saturday 10th May, 2025 beginning from 2pm for the 60th birthday celebration of a man I have chosen to describe as an ‘Uncommon’ Nigerian – Dr. Davidson Isibor Akhimien.

Naturally, I am not used to praising people in the public space to avoid misinterpretation of my intention as we live in a society where flattery, unmerited praise singing, eye service etc have become the hallmark of the average stomach-driven writer, singer, social media influencer, prophet and so on. I have chosen to write this tribute to a man I have associated with, over the years and found it quite irresistible to conclude that he is an uncommon Nigerian. What is the uncommonness all about, one may ask?

Like any other mortal, Davidson Isibor Akhimien certainly has his negative side of life but for those of us who have related with him, over the years, there is no doubt of the fact that he remains an exceptional human being when it comes to service to God and humanity. Naturally, he is not a rabble rouser and neither does he flourish in unwanted publicity. He is quite gentle and humanistic in spite of the military blood that runs in him. He is the son of a former Army Captain and he equally served and retired from the military as an officer of the elite extraction. Except one is told, Davidson does not openly parade himself as former officer of the Nigerian Army as many others would like to do. He would rather coast along in a priestly garment that reveals the evangelistic tendency in him. He has since become a fisher of men.

Born in 1965 into the family of Captain David Akhimien (retired) of Ekpoma, Edo State, Davidson Isibor Akhimien, perhaps borrowing from his father, showed early likeness for the military and para-military establishments. This obviously was the reason his parents enrolled him at the Army Children School, Kakuri, Kaduna from where he moved to Nigerian Military School, Zaria fkor his secondary education.

In 1990, he gained admission into the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna as a member of the 29th Short Service Course and graduated from there with Presidential Parchment of Combatant Commission. As a young man with didactic instinct, he saw his military training as just a stepping stone for greater intellectual activities as he was set to pursue learning at higher levels.

At different times, he attended several universities within and outside Nigeria, amongst them are the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo and the University of Lagos. Outside the country, at various times too, he attended the Universite du Benin, Cotonou, Universite National du Benin, Lome, Togo and Universidade de Brasilia, Brazil. He holds a first degree in Modern European Languages and he is a polyglot with fluency in Hausa, Ibo, Yoruba, Ishan, French, Portuguese and English.

His other qualifications include a Post-Graduate Diploma in Theology (with emphasis on pastoral ministry), a Masters degree in International Law and Diplomacy and a second Master’s degree in Criminology. He later bagged a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Political Science with specialty in Peace and Conflict Management. Akhimien is an author of several inspirational books, one of which is titled Poverty and Governance.

As a young military officer, he attended several professional courses including the Young Officers Intelligence Course, Young Officers Infantry Course at Jaji, Kaduna and Tactical Intelligence Officers’ Course while serving at the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI). At a time, he served as an analyst for Africa and Middle East Affairs in the Strategic Intelligence Group of the Directorate of Military Intelligence in 1988. He was in the Nigerian Army till 1996 when he retired as an Admin Officer (AO) in the headquarters camp of the Nigerian Army Intelligence Corps (NAIC).

On his disengagement from military service, he began his life as a civilian employee serving as the Manager, Central Security Control of Pacific Group of Companies in 1997 and later moved to Babcock University as Director of Security Services before he founded his own group of companies with interests in private security, logistics and hospitality. He has thousands of Nigerians currently in the employment of his companies in no less than 20 states of the federation. Davidson Akhimien, who is the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of King David Security, was the pioneer National President of the Association of Licensed Private Security Practitioners of Nigeria (ALPSPN), the umbrella body of all registered and licensed private security companies in Nigeria.

Politically, Davidson once ventured into the murky waters of Nigeria’s politics as the Presidential candidate of the Grass-root Development Party of Nigeria (now defunct) in 2019 with an uncommon desire to give birth to a new Nigeria where democracy dividends are visibly seen and not tucked away on worthless papers that only indicate intention with no action. Typical of our political environment, his ambition was aborted with the re-enactment of the old order that ignobly permits a recycling of those one may call enemies of Nigeria whose stock in trade is politics of primitive accumulation.

As Davidson celebrates his 60th birthday with family, friends, associates and well wishers on Saturday 10th May, 2025 one can only wish him more healthy years ahead to continue serving God and humanity as nothing else seems to give him the peace of mind and eternal joy he relishes than doing good to assist the less privileged and honoring God with the resources he is blessed with. Thousands of Nigerians in his employment and the humility with which he navigates the turbulent economic space to meet the needs of such huge dependant workers, remain a great testimony to the uncommonness of his character and personality. He deserves my praise and possibly the praise of many others who have crossed paths with him. He remains God fearing, generous, inspiring and lovable. To you Dr. Davidson Isibor Akhimien, I say 60 hearty cheers.