Bishop David Oyedepo
Oyedepo said the university would continue to work toward the envisioned greater future of rewriting the story of university education in Africa.
He made the remark at the 10th convocation of the university for the award of first and higher degrees for the 2014/2015 session.
NAN reports that 104 graduates had first class honours.
“By God’s faithfulness and relentless pursuit of excellence, the university has continued to move closer to realising the mandate of becoming one of the world’s top 10 universities by the year 2023,” Oyedepo said.
According to Oyedepo, great leaders are not those with chain of degrees, but those who change the world.
He said the institution was committed to raising a generation of leaders, who were not only intellectually-equipped to be experts in their fields, but were equally equipped with leadership skills.
The chancellor said: “The university has established 21 multidisciplinary research clusters, and it is about completing the construction of a six-storey structure that will accommodate its Centre for Research, Innovation and Discovery.
“It will equally accommodate endowed Centres of Excellence in Biotechnology, Bioinformatics, Information and Communication Technology for Systems Research and Corporate Governance.”
Oyedepo, who the founding pastor of Winners Chapel, said in addition to the respective degrees of the graduating students, they would also receive certificates/diplomas in leadership.
He said the institution’s 104 first class graduates dominated the Presidential Special Scholarship for Innovation and Development (PRESSID) for the third time.
Oyedepo stressed the need for “aggressive investment in quality education” in Nigeria and Africa.
“It is only when this is achieved that there will be civilization, rapid development and change.
He said the quality of resources available for any nation for its development depended largely on the quality of education available in such a country.
“You cannot give what you do not have. A qualitative educated society will provide quality and productive approach in tackling the immediate needs of the society.
“Education remains a fundamental and veritable tool for nation building and accelerated transformation.
“No prayer or fasting can substitute knowledge. We need life-transforming education; one that speaks and creates.
“Even in spiritual matters, we need quality education to forge ahead for enlightenment and illumination,” he said.
Oyedepo said Nigeria and Africa needed quality education to drive the expected change.
He added: “No nation will ever rise above its investment for quality education as it is not just a funfare of degrees, but a continuous commitment to learning.”
He urged the fresh graduates to strive to contribute their quota to national development.
“As you go forth, may God continue to lead you and may you continue to spread your wings to soar higher.”
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Charles Ayo, named Mr Emmanuel Ebubechukwu of the Department of Electric and Electronic Engineering as the overall best graduating student.
Ebubechukwu , 22, who is among the 104 first class graduates, had 4.96 GCPA.
He said 1,315 graduated at the undergraduate level, while the School of Postgraduates had 143 students.
Ayo said of the graduating students, 610 were admitted into the Second Class Upper Division, 510 in the Second Class Lower Division, and 91 got Third Class.
The vice-chancellor said at the postgraduate level, 20 were awarded PhD degrees, 115 were awarded Masters’ degrees, while eight others bagged Masters in Business Administration (MBA) and Post-Graduate Diplomas (PGD).
Prof. Julius Okojie, the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), said the Covenant University had set the pace for a perfect university system.
Okojie said the NUC would continue to support the institution in its quest for the desired “radical change” in the country’s education sector.
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