Covenant University Chancellor Dr David Oyedepo has declared that nothing can prevent Covenant University from becoming a globally sought-after institution comparable to Harvard University, as the private Christian university marked its 24th anniversary with a thanksgiving celebration in Ota, Ogun State, on Thursday, 22 October 2026.

Pro-Chancellor Pastor Faith Oyedepo, Vice-Chancellor Professor Timothy Anake and other university leaders joined the celebration, reflecting on the institution’s growth, academic ambitions and commitment to developing future leaders.

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Addressing the anniversary gathering, Dr Oyedepo attributed the university’s progress and growing international recognition to divine faithfulness and the vision behind its establishment.

He expressed confidence that the institution would continue to advance despite challenges, presenting its ambitions as part of a wider mission to combine academic excellence with spiritual and character development.

“Whatever cannot stop the sun from shining cannot stop Covenant University from advancing,” Dr Oyedepo declared.

Speaking on the theme, “Seven Hidden Treasures of Thanksgiving”, the chancellor described gratitude as a source of spiritual strength and progress.

In a message titled “Thanksgiving: A Pathway to Supernatural Advancement”, he drew on biblical passages, including Psalm 92:1-15 and John 6:6-12, to encourage the university community to remain grateful, resilient and committed to its faith.

Dr Oyedepo also revisited the institution’s founding story, recalling an encounter he said took place on 12 February 2002 at NICON Hotel in Abuja.

According to the chancellor, he had sought divine confirmation concerning the university’s ownership and future and received the response, “It is I”.

The experience, he said, reinforced his conviction that the institution had a divinely ordained purpose.

The anniversary address placed Covenant University’s aspirations in the context of a journey that began in 2002, when the institution welcomed its first students in Ota.

Since then, the university has built its identity around a Christian mission ethos, leadership development and an integrated approach to education.

Its stated vision is to raise a new generation of leaders across different fields of human endeavour.

Dr Oyedepo urged students, known as Covenant Eagles, to make spirituality a foundation for their academic pursuits and personal development.

Reflecting on his own Christian journey, he recalled becoming a Christian at 15 and beginning his ministry at 16, describing his commitment to God as a lasting source of fulfilment.

“This is God’s own new-generation Harvard,” he said, reiterating his confidence that the university would attain greater international prominence and produce graduates sought after by employers in Nigeria and abroad.

The comparison with Harvard represents an ambitious aspiration rather than a claim of equivalent standing. Covenant University’s future progress will depend on measurable outcomes in areas such as teaching, research, innovation, international collaboration and graduate opportunities, alongside the faith-based philosophy emphasised by its leadership.

There are, however, signs of progress in the institution’s international profile.

In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027, published on 30 September 2026, Covenant University was placed in the global 801-1,000 band, alongside the University of Ibadan and the University of Lagos among Nigeria’s highest-ranked institutions.

The rankings assess universities across teaching, research environment, research quality, industry engagement and international outlook.

The result offers a useful measure of the university’s standing, while also illustrating the distance between its current ranking and the world’s most prominent institutions.

Pastor Faith Oyedepo, the university’s pro-chancellor, described the anniversary as an opportunity to acknowledge the institution’s progress and recognise what she considers the role of divine grace in its achievements.

“If you know how to think, you will know how to thank,” she said.

She also pointed to the introduction of professional programmes, including Law, Medicine, Pharmacy and Mechatronics, as evidence of the university’s academic expansion.

Such programmes broaden the institution’s educational offering and reflect its efforts to develop graduates equipped for a wider range of professional careers.

Professor Timothy Anake, the vice-chancellor, expressed gratitude for the university’s development and commended the chancellor and pro-chancellor for their leadership.

He said the institution’s performance in national, regional and international rankings reflected its commitment to research, innovation and producing graduates capable of competing in a changing global environment.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Lanre Amodu provided further details of the university’s achievements over the preceding year, highlighting institutional recognition, research developments and increased international visibility.

His presentation reinforced the leadership’s emphasis on translating the founding vision into tangible academic and institutional progress.

One of the anniversary’s notable human-interest moments was the recognition of support for students facing financial hardship.

Professor Amodu acknowledged a ₦200m commitment associated with university alumnus Dickson Nsofor, founder of KoraPay, to help indigent students meet their educational costs.

The commitment had previously been announced in October 2024 as a ten-year endowment intended to support students struggling to pay tuition fees.

The initiative illustrates how alumni contributions can help widen access to private university education, although the long-term impact will depend on how effectively the funds are administered and how many students benefit.

The anniversary also provided an opportunity to recognise the institution’s wider alumni network.

Segun Aremu, president of the Covenant University Alumni Association, praised Dr Oyedepo’s influence on successive generations of graduates, citing the emphasis placed on spiritual development, academic discipline and personal character.

Speaking on behalf of more than 20,000 alumni worldwide, Mr Aremu reaffirmed the association’s commitment to the university’s founding vision and values.

As Covenant University enters its 25th year since welcoming its first students in October 2002, the anniversary celebrations have brought together faith, institutional pride and renewed ambition.

The leadership’s challenge will be to sustain academic development, strengthen research and demonstrate the lasting value of its educational model.

Dr Oyedepo’s Harvard comparison captures the scale of the aspiration.

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Whether Covenant University can translate that ambition into sustained global recognition will ultimately be judged not only by its vision, but also by the quality of its scholarship, the achievements of its graduates and its contribution to education in Nigeria and beyond.