After emerging as Nigeria's and West Africa’s best-ranked University in the latest Times Higher Education (THE) ranking of world universities, Covenant University, with the backing of the Board of Regents of the University, is undertaking a 7-year, 7-Points Prophetic Agenda from 2023 through 2030.
The Chancellor and Chairman, Board of Regents of Covenant University, Dr. David Oyedepo, while unveiling the 7-Years: 7-Points Prophetic Agenda, said where any vision stops is where stagnation and frustration set in, because no man can arrive at a future he cannot see, nor will anyone or organization arrive anywhere not prepared for it.
According to Dr. Oyedepo, the core areas of focus for the next 7 years will be the full-blown actualization of the Covenant University Open and Distance Learning courses for first and postgraduate degrees, with a target of reaching 100,000 enrolments within the next 7 years.
In addition, the period under consideration will witness an approach review of the existing Entrepreneurship Development Studies (EDS) Programme of the University to ensure the impact is measured by the entrepreneurial endeavours of graduates of the centre.
The Chancellor said the research endeavour of the next 7 years will be tailored towards measurable impact and tangibility of results. “We must take our research endeavours to the next level by identifying and investing more in our areas of strength, that is, Engineering, Computer Science, Accounting, Mass Communication, etc., and at the same time ensure that investment in product-based research endeavours is to the tune of at least a billion Naira annually.
Dr. Oyedepo said that during the next 7 years, the University must work at consolidating and surpassing Covenant University's current standing among elite institutions in the world. “Sustain and improve on all local and global ranking platforms, while at the same time working assiduously to be at the top, because that is where we belong,” he posited.
He said Vision 7:7:2030 will see a renewed drive towards the full actualization of the University’s leadership development programmes as a globally acceptable brand by offering Leadership Certificates and degrees at the post-graduate levels for M.Sc and Ph.D scholars.
In addition, Dr. Oyedepo said exposure and capacity building for global competitiveness will be a strong mandate during the time frame, as there will be a revamping of institutional support for conferences, seminars, workshops, and other capacity-building endeavours.
He stated that the full establishment and commencement of Covenant University’s second campus, which will house the College of Medical Sciences, catering to disciplines like Medicine, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Biomedical Engineering, Nursing, and Midwifery, would have come on stream during this period.
The visionary thrust of Covenant is embedded in her passionate drive to raise a New Generation of Leaders who, through their exposure and training in the rudiments of Leadership Development, will be equipped to offer “Afro-centric” solutions to Africa’s plethora of challenges.
He concluded by charging the University personnel to work at training students to devise legitimate means for making a living, equipping them for a creative, innovative, and productive lifestyle, and helping them see opportunities amid adversity.