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Tag: Oyedepo

  • Oyedepo hailed for pioneering agriarian revolution

    Oyedepo hailed for pioneering agriarian revolution

    Vice Chancellor, Landmark University, Prof Aize Obayan, has praised the founder of the university, Bishop David Oyedepo, for establishing the institution with the aim of provoking global agrarian revolution.

    Prof Obayan, who also identified agriculture as the antidote to current economic situation, urged authorities to renew commitment to agriculture to transit from an importing nation to an export-driven economy.

    She spoke to newsmen in Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State at a briefing to mark the 62nd birthday of  Dr. Oyedepo.

    Prof Obayan described Dr. Oyedepo as a visionary leader of global repute, whose obedience to the divine call and passion for the vision, had brought remarkable transformation to the education landscape, and agricultural revolution in Africa.

    She said: “We are here today, celebrating a man with a selfless service to God and humanity, an illustrious son of Africa who through capacity initiatives and efforts has provided hope to many lives globally.

    “We are appreciating God’s grace upon the life of His servant whose agenda to drive change and transformation in Africa and the world at large is unmistaken.

    “We are celebrating a man of vision who demonstrated a prompt obedience to divine instruction and by this provides a better platform for the landscape of agriculture and education.”

    Prof Obayan lamented that the global economic downturn occasioned by the fall in crude oil price was taking a toll on Nigeria, saying emphasis should be laid on individuals return to farming.

    She said:  “We are convinced that attaining success in the agricultural sector would reduce food importation that fuels domestic inflation and depletes foreign reserves.”

    “Wisdom, therefore, demands that agricultural products should be used as input for our own home-made products so that we can export finished products.

    “According to a World Bank projection, about 100 million young people will be joining the labour queue by 2035.

    “This is an awful picture of a nation with lesser job opportunities, which implies that there would be no jobs outside agriculture to meet the employment needs of these people.

    “Experts agree that the next gold pool of jobs would be in agriculture and services sector of the economy.”

    Prof Obayan continued:  “We are unrelenting in championing the crusade of awareness that agriculture is not just about farming; it is about the entire value chain, which is impressively gaining grounds.

    “It is capable of turning people, particularly the youths into agricultural entrepreneurs.”

    She noted that as an importing nation that needs dollar reserves to support her import needs, Nigeria’s reserves keep depleting as world oil price declines.

    “To stop bleeding the external reserves, the Central Bank of Nigeria has urged Nigerians to begin to process raw materials to get more value and earn more foreign exchange.”

    Prof Obayan revealed that the university was collaborating with  Shonga Farms, Kwara State, Songhai Farms, Benin Republic, and Elpassso Farms, Pretoria, South Africa.

     

  • Oyedepo urges leaders to be selfless

    Oyedepo urges leaders to be selfless

    Chancellor of Covenant University (CU) Ota Dr. David Oyedepo has advised leaders to be selfless to move the nation forward.

    He spoke at the first David Oyedepo Leadership Symposium to celebrate his 62nd birthday at the university’s African Leadership Development Centre over the weekend.

    Oyedepo called for a repositioning of minds to achieve change.

    He said: “It is thinking about others that makes a leader, thinking the good of others and better life for others. Thinking self only makes slaves. I have a dream that focuses on helping others live. We need a reorientation and repositioning to rewrite the story of, Nigeria.”

    Dr. Oyedepo stressed the need for passion in solving societal problems.

    He noted that if the leaders have a passionate heart to help others, they would overcome poverty, insecurity, corruption, recession, and others plaguing the nation.

    Also, a professor and head of Bioinformatics Research at CU Ezekiel Adebiyi urged youths to be problem solvers, build their credibility, relate with God and pursue their visions to be effective leaders.

    Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Kendor Consulting Mrs. Adaora Ikwuemesi said: “If we don’t have capacity to change as quickly as the environment, then we might as well consider ourselves extinct. We must understand that things happen at a faster and quicker rate in the digital revolution.”

    On community leadership, Professor of Demography and Statistics of the university, Gbolahan Oni called on the citizens to follow examples of leadership laid by the CU’s proprietor.

    He said attributes of shared vision, leadership by example and listening ears were pertinent in nation-building.

    For Mr. Femi Taiwo, director of Eagles HOPE Foundation, “what we need in community leadership are principles, such as heart of service, purpose-driven leadership, visionary action and the ability to leverage technology. A good leader must be able to identify problems of people and proffer solutions.”

  • Dad, Oyedepo, John Maxwell motivated me, says valedictorian

    Dad, Oyedepo, John Maxwell motivated me, says valedictorian

    LANDMARK University (LMU), Omu-Aran, Kwara State valedictorian at the university’s graduation, Oyeleke Oyetunji Olumuyiwa, has said his father, the founder of the university and Presiding Bishop, Living Faith Church, Bishop David Oyedepo, and prolific author John Maxwe, are inspirations for his academic excellence.

    Oyeleke, who graduated with a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 4.90, to emerge the best graduating student of the university, said: “My dad remains one of my inspirations because despite his enormous responsibility,  he still combines pastoral and professional work in a stress free manner.  The great author John Maxwell is another because of the manner in which he explores human mind in his books. The third is Bishop David Oyedepo, who has a vision and runs with it in a country where almost everything is synonymous with corruption and failure.”

    For him, as a graduate of Mechanical Engineering, coming out as the best at the university was a result of cultivating a culture of excellence and  desiring to be the best.

    “I always choose excellence in everything I do; that’s my approach. I never in my mind prayed that ‘God, I want to be the best graduating student’; but based on my performances, I emerged because if you are working hard and putting in your best, you will definitely come out the best,” he said.

    The 21-year-old said attending Landmark was accidental.

    According to him, he initially chose the University of Ibadan (UI), but later changed to the Covenant University (CU), Ota. However, when JAMB eventually uploaded results, his name was missing from CU list of students offered admission. By the time JAMB eventually processed his change of institution, there was no space in CU’s Mechanical Engineering department.  He was offered Industrial Physics instead, which he rejected.

    He then learnt about LMU, which was then barely two years old and was still accepting students into its Department of Mechanical Engineering. Oyeleke reluctantly took the examination and was accepted.

    Sharing his secret, Oyeleke said smart work, not hard work took him to the top. “There is something I call ‘smart work. Most students think it is when examination is coming that you start reading. For me, everything I read, I go for understanding so that whenever the lecturer asks any question, I can give it back to him. So, I don’t read to pass exam; I read to understand. My preparation starts the very first day of the semester. I do not wait until a test or exam is approaching,” Oyeleke said.

    Added to this was  discipline, which made him not to engage in endless chats with friends, or lead a flamboyant life. His friends, he said, understood him whenever he desired to quit general discussions.

    His parents are happy about their son’s achievement. His father, Deacon Samuel Oluwole Oyeleke, described the second child of his three children as the one who is most understanding. “I love him because of all my three children, he understands me most. We both think alike; and before I ask him for anything, he already knows,” he said.

    Oyeleke attested to his son’s discipline and determination when he said: “He has chosen to be more serious in his studies. Whenever he was given an assignment, he would not eat until he finishes it. There were times he would come home from school looking emaciated and I would ask: ‘but I sent you enough money when you were in school?’ and he would say: ‘there is little time to eat; I must face my studies first.’”

    Although LMU has held two previous convocations, this is the first time the Department of Mechanical Engineering will produce a valedictorian, a development that gladdened the heart of its head of department, Prof Christen Okechukwu Osueke.

    “I’m happy because this is coming from us.  Muyiwa has a vision. He is very inquisitive. He knows why he is here. You either find him in the library or laboratory. It is pretty difficult emerging top in Mechanical Engineering. Here, we deal with practical. Our job borders on calculations and simulations. You don’t read books on Mechanical Engineering why lying in your bed. Besides, the workload is enormous,” Osueke said

    Oyeleke said developing himself further is his priority. “Even if this university offers me employment, I will still have to seek God’s intervention through prayer. For now, I want to develop myself more. There is a difference between choice and passion.  I want fulfillment. If you jump into something you don’t have passion for, you might just end up regretting. So, I will consider all the options,” he said.

  • Oyedepo: Nigeria is moving forward

    Oyedepo: Nigeria is moving forward

    THE  Bishop of the Living Faith Church (LFC) worldwide, Dr. David Oyedepo, has said Nigeria is moving forward, despite its economic challenges.

    In a telecast via satellite monitored in Jos, Plateau, Bishop Oyedepo said this when he addressed local and international workers of the church in a broadcast yesterday morning.

    He told the workers that the nation and the church were in a period of revival and that sacrifices need to be made.

    The bishop said private universities— championed by the church— came to set standards and right moral codes in our educational system to make it thrive better, devoid of cultism and activism.

    He noted that academic calendars of private universities had been maintained, even as lecturers and their students in conventional universities go on strike.

    “Private universities are here to restore the glory of the nation; it is clear that something is brewing in Nigeria.

    “Nigeria’s healing is taking place now, and the health of the nation is being restored. We are pushing darkness back,” he said.

    He enjoined Christians involved in fostering the revival of the nation by God through prayers and work not to relent as they were entitled to rewards from the Lord.

  • E-governance ‘ll fight graft, say Shittu, Oyedepo

    E-governance ‘ll fight graft, say Shittu, Oyedepo

    The Minister of Communications Technology, Adebayo Shittu and Chancellor, Covenant University, Dr. David Oyedepo, have urged Nigerians to embrace information communications technology (ICT) as a major tool to move the nation forward.

    They argued that the implementation of electronic or e-government policy will not only bring about transparency but assure good governance. They spoke during this year’s Covenant University Conference on e-Governance in Nigeria, in Otta, Ogun State.

    Shittu said the Federal Government believes in the implementation of e-government as a policy that would help improve efficiency in the public service, block financial leakages, improve transparency and reduce corruption to the barest minimum, while bringing government closer to the people.

    According to him, the adoption of e-government across all Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) has improved. He added that there is still a lot more work to be done both at the federal and state level.

    “We have developed an e-Government Masterplan, which is a framework to guide the adoption and implementation of e-Government programs across government,” he said.

    Represented by a Director in the Ministry, Tope Fashedemi, the minister spoke on: Information and Communication Technologies for Governance in Nigeria: Achievements, Challenges and Opportunities.

    According to the Shittu, e-government is the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) as a tool to facilitate improved service delivery between government and its customers which comprise its citizens, registered businesses, foreigners, government (MDAs), state government and local government, among others.

    He said; “Based on the importance of e-government for our administration, we are keen on delivering improved government services to the citizenry, while focusing on the need to improve the capacity of the public sector workforce to be properly skilled and equipped to deliver on the government mandate in this new dispensation.”

    He noted that there are several advantages to be derived from purposeful implementation of e-government, including cost savings which will result in effective service delivery, enhanced transparency and accountability, improved public administration and growth of the ICT sector which will lead to employment opportunities and improved economic development.

    He said ICT is a positive catalyst to development, adding that a holistic adoption and implementation of e-government will result in an increase in the sector’s contribution to the GDP.

     

  • Oyedepo: Western-developed democracy won’t deliver Africa

    Oyedepo: Western-developed democracy won’t deliver Africa

    War, corruption, tribal skirmishes and the likes have put Africa on the brink. But there is hope if the continent can remodel the democracy bequeathed to her by the West, purging some of its foreign content to accommodate African initiatives.

    This was the position of the Chancellor, Covenant University (CU), Ota, Ogun State, Bishop David Oyedepo, who spoke as the 14-year old university rounded off its third International Conference on African Development Issues (ICADI), which began on Monday. The conference‘s theme is ‘Driving inclusive and sustainable development in Africa: Models, Methods and Policies.”

    Oyedepo noted that everything the West designed was made with the right thinking and towards profiting its system, and not African.

    His words: “I’m a die-hard Africanist and I must see a new Africa emerge in my lifetime. As Africans, we have next to zero value for ourselves. Everything we do must get the Whiteman’s endorsement. That is why I maintain that a western-developed democracy won’t deliver us.

    “I have since realised that a great percentage of Africans with the capacity for decision is far below what we have in the West. It is in this part of the world that you see somebody coming out of rehab and wants to run for governor.

    “This is a country where people who know next to nothing are in position of leadership.”

    Oyedepo said in his capacity as a fiery cleric, he would design a model for governance which would be sent to the authorities when completed.

  • Nigeria will recover from current challenges, says Oyedepo

    Nigeria will recover from current challenges, says Oyedepo

    The founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide (Winners Chapel), Bishop David Oyedepo, is optimistic that Nigeria will recover supernaturally from its current challenges.

    He added that Nigeria would not go down the drain, blaming Nigeria’s current challenges on systemic failure.

    Oyedepo, who is the Chancellor of the Landmark University (LMU), Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, said this at the 5th anniversary of the institution.

    The clergyman said: “I don’t see the problems with the government. I see them as systemic. You give a job to a contractor; he won’t do it. He will be looking for whom to give money to so as to cut corners. Then the job is not done and nobody can question him. So we are dealing with a systemic problem; it is not an individual problem and we must look for a solution to it.”

    He urged President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to come out with a definite position on the lingering scarcity of the premium motor spirit (PMS) in the country.

     He said: “People in government are much in touch with some of the issues. See where we are on the fuel situation. What is the reason? Where are we going? What is the solution they are proffering? If they are increasing the pump prices, let us know. Right now, they sell fuel at various prices everywhere. We used to have black market, but it is ‘black fuel station’ and they have the right to sell at any price because they are private marketers. The government needs to come out with a definite position on the fuel situation.

    “Where we are today is not where we used to be. The effect of the foreign exchange has a lot do with the small scale industry. And that is where the bulk of the Nigerian unemployment is. Anybody can make mistake. If the people in authority are not sensitive to the plight of the people, we will keep on making mistakes. My understanding is that it is never late to be right. If a decision is made and you discover the decision is not helping the system, we should do an informed review.

    “What I am saying is that things have not been working, and we are all aware of this.  Individuals have a lot of parts to play to recover the dignity of our nation. These problems have been coming over the years. For instance, think of power. Since this democracy started, power has been a major challenge. Why is it not working? What is happening? Why are we still largely a consuming nation? Because the infrastructure required to be a manufacturing nation is not there. And nobody can run anything here with generator. It will be too costly.

    “I think government should have its priorities. What are the fundamentals that can move Nigeria forward? If we have the right platforms for investors to come in, we will solve some of these problems.

    “It is not enough to think of the way out. We should go beyond thinking to reasoning- logical, rational and analytical thinking. These are issues and possible ways out. It is all about cost-effective solutions.”

  • PhD a waste if it cannot solve problems, says Oyedepo

    PhD a waste if it cannot solve problems, says Oyedepo

    Few PhD graduates of the Covenant University (CU) in Ota, Ogun State, have been urged to come up with innovations that can solve problems plaguing the society.  The Chancellor, Dr. David Oyedepo, told them their inability to do so would mean their research programme was useless.

    Bishop Oyedepo promised to make funds available to them to identify problems and find solutions.

    Oyedepo, who spoke at a meeting with the young scholars, said Nigeria has been unable to address its challenges because of a lack of capacity to get the job done.

    He lamented a situation where PhD holders seemingly lacked the thinking capacity.

    He said: “I have come to provoke your potential. There is more inside you than the earned certificate. If you cannot think out solutions to problems, your PhD is a complete waste.

    “When we say Doctor of Philosophy, we are saying master of thinkers; someone committed to finding solution to life’s problems. And until our learning translates to thinking, our PhD is zero.

    “All that we have done going through the rigour of PhD is to ignite our thinking capacity. It’s so important that we have what it takes to recreate our country and the world.”

    Though Nigeria is reported to have more PhDs than four European countries, Oyedepo wondered why Nigeria was not getting similar result as the Europeans.

    “The gas turbine (at CU) was not working because Shell was on strike. So why can’t students of Chemical Engineering build reserves? Why do we look at problems as if we are not concerned?”

    To be able to provide solutions to problems, Oyedepo said the scholars must learn to management themselves, time and task.

     

  • Oyedepo urges govt to emulate U.S., UK in education funding

    The Chancellor, Covenant University Ota, Ogun State, Bishop David Oyedepo, has urged governments to emulate the developed countries in education funding.

    He said  Nigeria may  continue to suffer underdevelopment until its citizens are educationally equipped to contribute to governance and other sectors.

    The cleric gave the advice during the institution’s fifth inaugural lecture at the CU Chapel in Ota  last week.

    The lecture with the theme: Sustainable engineering: A vital approach to innovation product development and community capacity building, was delivered by a professor of Sustainable Engineering, Israel Dunmade.

    Dr Oyedepo said nations that  have recorded impressive development, invested massively in education. He said Nigeria needs to take a cue from the USA and Britain, two world superpowers, whose investment in education is unquantifiable.

    He noted that Britain once held the baton of economic leadership before USA took over.  With the latter currently battling economic hardship, he said there is an opening for Africa, nay, Nigeria to reclaim economic superiority. This, Oyedepo said, now throws a fresh challenge for government to realise ‘Africa era of economic leadership’ by reviewing its education policy and opening up access to more Nigerians to get educated.

    “People need to be educated before they can partner with stakeholders to achieve meaningful development. Development will never be a product of political ideology, but the kind that involves participation of informed citizenry.

    “Let me be categorical here, nothing will change until our approach to issues changes because each Nigerian needs to play a role by taking responsibility,” Oyedepo said.

    In his recommendations, Dunmade of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, CU, advocated consistency in education policy, particularly engineering curriculum, in such a way that undergraduate students in Nigerian universities would be exposed to a technical multi-disciplinary engineering programme that would help them realise that sustainability is central to their overall development.

    Dunmade noted that heavy dependence on imported technology would not help Nigeria advance technologically. Against this reality, governments, he said, must encourage local technology to thrive, and enhance capacity building from the grassroots.

  • Agriculture holds prospect for Africa, says Oyedepo

    Agriculture holds prospect for Africa, says Oyedepo

    Presiding Bishop of Living Faith Church Worldwide (Winners’ Chapel), David Oyedepo, has said that agriculture not crude oil holds the greatest prospect and promise for the African continent.

    Bishop Oyedepo added that the current falling price of oil at the global market, with its attendant devastating effects on the economy of oil dependent nations, is an eloquent testimony to this assertion.

    The cleric said this at the 6th matriculation ceremony of the Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.

    The university on the occasion matriculated 513 students, cutting across colleges of agriculture, science and engineering and business and social sciences.

    He lamented that given the prevailing drop in the prices of crude oil at the international market, the economic outlook of Nigeria is gloomy.

    Said he: “With the share index and market capitalization dropping, excess crude account shrinking, foreign reserve dropping and the naira band being devalued, it is obvious that the economic outlook for Africa’s largest economy appears to be gloomy.

    “Hence, nothing can be more apt and timely than the vision of Landmark University which is to become a leading world-class institution by spearheading an agrarian revolution on the African continent through the exploration of hidden treasure in the mother-earth, thereby restoring the dignity of the black race.”

    Quoting United Nations Foods and Agriculture Organisation, Biship Oyedepo, who was represented by the Vice Chancellor, Covenant University, Otta, Ogun state, Prof Kayode Ayo added that “almost all the hungry people (780 million) live in developing countries, representing 12.9 percent or one in eight of the population of developing countries.