The Vice-Chancellor of Covenant University, Ota, Ogun, Prof. Abiodun Adebayo, said 283 students graduated with first class honours in the 2022/2023 academic session.
Adebayo disclosed this on Friday during the 18th Convocation ceremony and Conferment of First and Higher Degrees, and presentation of prizes in Ota.
According to him, 1,175 students graduated for the 2022/2023 academic session.
This comprised 283 students who made first class, 656 second class upper honours, 214 second class lower, third class 22 and 204 post-graduate students.
Nelson Ifechukwu, a student in the Department of Electrical Electronics Engineering, College of Engineering, emerged as the best-graduating student with a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 4.98.
“The Covenant’s mission is to transform students into experts, thinkers, innovative managers and resourceful technocrats in all fields of learning, thus restoring relevance to the university context in Africa,” he said.
The vice-chancellor said that the institution was ranked first in Nigeria, first in West Africa and 7th in Africa by the Times Higher Education World University and Impact Rankings.
He added that Covenant is the only private university among all Nigerian universities in the 2023 ranking, making it the best private university in Nigeria and Africa.
Also, Dr David Oyedepo, the Chancellor of the institution, said there was no amount of foreign interest or support that would be a substitute for our indigenous engagement in finding solutions to our challenges of today.
Oyedepo said that there was the need for Africa to rediscover “our true identities, because wherever there is liberty, dignity is restored.
“I have always believed that no solution can be more enduring than home-grown solutions,” he said.
The chancellor stressed the need for Africa not to run away from their challenges but should take responsibility by providing solutions inwardly to their problems.
He said that Covenant university was on a mission to restore the dignity of the black race by providing job creators and not job seekers.
Dr David Abioye, Pro-Chancellor, urged the graduating students not to join the league of those who believe in starting big rather “you should start small and grow.”
Abioye said that starting small would help them build personal belongings and enhance stability at various stages of pursuit.
“Slow and steady win the race,”he said.
