Business
‘There is no white cow in covenant University, my adopted son was sent off for one year’ – Bishop Oyedepo
The heartbeat of the Chancellor, Landmark University, Dr David Oyedepo, for exhibiting excellence in human endeavors is palpable. His well-articulated ideas towards achieving the excellent feat are golden and as convinc- ing as ever, notable of his erudite mien. Unmistaken is his passion for the transformation of humanity in alignment with the precept of God.
He is frantic in his commit- ment towards creating platforms for generating solutions that are requisite for improving the educa- tional landscape of Nigeria and the continent of Africa. His quest for redeeming the image of the black race via development of leadership capacity and spearhead- ing of an agricultural revolution led to the establishment of Landmark University with a highly competi- tive learning environment for all students, who are groomed through the custom built programmes such as Total Man Concept, Towards a Total Graduate and Agripreneur- ship packages, the unique sell- ing points of the University.
Dr Oyedepo’s huge investments and impacts in this regard have offered students and Faculty ample access to the top-notch teaching and re- search facilities in the University that keeps receiving great acco- lades in her drive for a world class status. In this interview, the Chan- cellor bears his mind on why the Core Values of the University have essentially remained a remarkable force to be reckoned with globally and the undying quest for the reali- zation of the University’s agrarian mandate.
Excerpts: 1.
Interviewer: The seven Core Values of Spirituality, Possibility Mental- ity, Capacity Building, Integrity, Responsibility, Diligence and Sacrifice have remained major at- traction to the parents who have willingly sent their children and wards to the University. How do you plan to sustain these values in a changing environment that uni- versity education is facing with strong regulatory environment under which universities operate?
Chancellor: The Core Values were drawn from the background of the need to raise changed people who will change their world. We are poised to bring back to the fore the character di- mension of learning at the Univer- sity level, like we usually say they are found worthy in character and learning. There has been zero at- tention to character when we came onboard, so we needed to create a platform that helps enhance the character aspect of learning and it is showing today.
For instance, the Nigerian graduate report publica- tion ranked Covenant University Number One in the list of Nigerian Universities with the most employ- able graduates having 90% employ- ability rate. That is the effect of the Core Values, it helps to equip our students on the pathways of life so that they can be relevant to the so- ciety and I think we are achieving that.
There is a university in America where they have 16 of our gradu- ates undertaking postgraduate stud- ies and when Professor Okebukola went there on official functions, they said we have 16 Nigerians here and they are unique, their packaging, commitment and intel- ligence is unique, they said they are from one Covenant University, he said oh I am not surprised I am part of that University too. He was very proud of those children.
He gath- ered them together and had a chat with them because of the quality of training. The whole essence of what we are doing is to raise world changers who will first need to ex- perience the changes themselves. Leave God behind, you are empty, throw integrity to the trashcan, you are finished, lack sacrifice, you can- not be a successful leader; a sacri- fice gives his best and beyond his best to lead a cause in which he believes.
All those things are there to help equip the student to be relevant because relevance is key. You cannot be relevant and not be significant. What we are trying to do is to ensure that platform is cre- ated overtime and the same thing is taking place in here, Landmark University. Most institutions to- day now have Core Values.
They did not have any before, you just live anyhow and finish anyhow, if you finish, that is what we do with the Core Values. Examina- tion malpractice culminates in summary dismissal from our sys- tem, we cannot be raising people who will deal with corruption and are corrupt themselves.
Examina- tion malpractice at 500 level, no mercy! We are convinced that he has been doing it since 100 lev- el otherwise there would not be need to do it at 500 level, and we have a psychological basis for that.
There is no way you will go for ex- amination malpractice at 500 level in Engineering, if you have been passing your exams since 100 level. So we are also out to sanitize the intellectual platform of our na- tion.
I must say this; Governors have come to pick their children from our campus. The daughter of our first Vice-Chancellor was rus- ticated from the University for one year, my adopted son was thrown out for one year at Covenant, so there is no white cow in the system and that makes everybody shake and fear.
If I must mention it, one of our for- mer Presidents had a relation that had a son rusticated and called me, I said I am sorry, I do not get involved, please talk to the Vice- Chancellor. He said can I have his number, I said no and we are still friends. Because the moment you make rules and you abide by the rules yourself, everybody is forced to follow, and that is what we are trying to do.
We are in dire need of leaders in our country and we will be wishing till death until we start raising the kind of leaders we want by taking them through the princi- ple of this kind of training so that they can be there to effect changes.
Interviewer: A major indicator of success in the University administration is the degree to which it can at- tract and retain high quality Fac- ulty. What plans are on the way to achieve this feat in Landmark University?
Chancellor: The plans are obvious, let us maintain conducive atmosphere for learning and research.
Let us generate good comfort for faculty and staff. There is no system that does not have staff turnover; the rate may differ from one place to the other.
We are sensitive to the need of faculty and staff, so when they bring forth their needs we see which one can be addressed per time. We are committed to excellence; if you know how much your univer- sity spends on power, then you will know we are doing our best to keep life comfortable. We believe in re- taining faculty and staff because it empowers continuity and helps to encourage those who are com- ing behind that there is something good in the land that they can be partakers of.
Interviewer: We appreciate your commit- ment to the provision of first-class infrastructure in Landmark Uni- versity. Considering the mainte- nance culture in Nigeria, what strategies are in place for the sus- tainable maintenance of these in- frastructures?
Chancellor: We are not new as an organization to infrastructural development. One of the comments that NUC made in Lagos when they came for the verification visit for Covenant University was that they have been around for a week and they cannot pick a piece of paper on the floor, can this be Nigeria? We were in the slum as it were in Alimosho Area, Raji Oba.
I used the public toilet that they use there when I am hav- ing a programme, you find it intact. We are committed to continuous first-class maintenance of our in- frastructure.
At Covenant, we just invested about #380 million renovating staff housing that was completed last year. We are known for quality maintenance culture, you can be in Nigeria and not of Nigeria.
If you come to Faith Tabernacle on Sunday by 5pm you will not know anybody came there for worship with that multitude because the sanctuary keepers have invaded the whole place and tidy up every- thing, it looks like nobody has ever used the place.
We are very used to it and we want to continue to improve on it particularly on the approach. Poor workmanship is a major problem in our country and when the workmanship is poor, it tells on the maintenance.
Precision and Heritage: How Fifi Stitches Is Rewriting African Fashion Narratives
A Nigerian-born designer is gradually carving out a cross-continental footprint in contemporary fashion, blending African textile heritage with British technical discipline.
Esther Fiyinfoluwa Adeosun, Founder and Creative Director of Fifi Stitches, is gaining recognition for structured womenswear and bridal couture that reinterprets traditional fabrics through architectural tailoring and precision construction.
Born in Ibadan, Oyo State, Adeosun’s fashion journey began at home, seated beside her mother’s sewing machine. What started as childhood curiosity, sometimes jamming the machine just to understand its mechanics—evolved into a disciplined design practice now operating between Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
During an interview with journalists the fifi Stitches once mentioned “I was fascinated by how flat fabric could transform into something structured and meaningful”.
In her Story , early designs made for her family, though imperfectly finished, were worn with pride—an encouragement that laid the foundation for her professional confidence.
Today, Fifi Stitches is recognised for sculpted bodices, controlled tailoring, corsetry construction, and the contemporary reinterpretation of Ankara, Aso Oke, and Adire textiles.
The brand challenges the long-held perception that African fabrics belong solely in ceremonial contexts, instead positioning them within global luxury and modern design spaces.
Adeosun’s training reflects this dual perspective. She studied Fashion Design and Entrepreneurship at the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Development Studies, Obafemi Awolowo University, and earned a Diploma in Fashion Design through Alison Online.
In the UK, she undertook industry-focused technical training with Fashion-Enter Ltd and gained fashion business exposure through Fashion Capital UK.
Her technical expertise spans pattern drafting, draping, garment technology, structured tailoring, corsetry, and bespoke fittings—skills she describes as central to credibility in fashion. “Precision builds trust,” she says. “A designer must understand construction as deeply as creativity.”
Fifi Stitches has showcased collections at the Suffolk Fashion Show, Liverpool Fashion Show – FB Fashion Ball, Red Carpet Fashion Event in London, and through editorial features in London Runway Magazine.
The brand has also received coverage in The Guardian Nigeria and Vanguard Allure, expanding its visibility across markets.
Beyond couture, Adeosun integrates community impact into her practice.
She has facilitated garment construction workshops, draping sessions, and introductory training programmes for women and emerging creatives, promoting fashion as both artistic expression and vocational empowerment.
Fifi Stcithes Boss operates between Nigeria and the UK, in order to continue to shape her brand identity.
According to her “Nigeria provides cultural richness and expressive textile traditions, while the UK offers structured production systems, sustainability conversations, and institutional frameworks”.
Looking ahead, Adeosun said she plan to establish a fully structured fashion house spanning Africa and the UK, develop scalable production partnerships, launch capsule collections, and expand independent editorial visibility.
Her broader ambition is clear: to position African textile craftsmanship within global contemporary design conversations—through structure, discipline, and technical excellence.
GTCO Launches “Take on Squad” Hackathon 3.0, Opens Call for Applications
Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (“GTCO” or the “Group”) has announced the launch of “Take on Squad” Hackathon 3.0, reaffirming its commitment to fostering innovation, empowering talent, and supporting the development of technology-driven solutions that address real-world challenges across Africa.
Now in its third edition, the Hackathon brings together developers, designers and entrepreneurs across Nigeria in a collaborative environment to build practical solutions across key sectors including financial services, healthcare, commerce and digital inclusion. Under the theme “Smart Systems: The Intelligent Economy,” participants are challenged to design and build intelligent, data-driven solutions that transform how communities engage with money.
Applications are now open, and interested teams can find full guidelines and registration details on the official portal at https://squadco.com/hackathon.
Speaking on the initiative, Eduophon Japhet, Managing Director of HabariPay, stated: “Today’s dynamic, digitally driven world demands continuous innovation, which is shaping how economies grow, how businesses scale, and how societies evolve. Through “Take on Squad” Hackathon, we are deliberately investing in the ideas and talent that will define the future. Our objective is not simply to encourage innovation, but to enable its translation into scalable solutions that deliver real and measurable impact. This reflects GTCO’s role as a financial services platform that connects capital, capability, and creativity to drive sustainable progress.”
The social coding event remains a cornerstone of HabariPay’s mission to foster creativity and problem-solving among emerging tech talents. Competing teams will leverage Squad’s advanced APIs to create scalable digital tools that address everyday challenges faced by businesses and individuals.
Through initiatives such as this, GTCO continues to position itself at the intersection of finance, technology and enterprise, actively shaping the future of digital transformation in Africa.
About HabariPay
HabariPay Ltd is the fintech subsidiary of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO), one of the largest financial services institutions in Africa with direct and indirect investments in a network of operating entities located in 10 countries across Africa and the United Kingdom.
Licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), our goal is to support SMEs, micro merchants, large corporations and other fintechs (Tech Stars) with the tools they need to thrive in an evolving digital economy and expand beyond their current market reach. HabariPay’s solutions include Squad, a full-scale digital payments toolkit to make in-person and online payments simpler, HabariPay Storefront, an e-commerce website to facilitate online purchases, Value-Added Services to help merchants access cost-effective and flexible airtime and data bundles to run their businesses, as well as a switching infrastructure that enables tech-focused businesses to optimise cost and make transactions more efficient.
HabariPay’s contributions to Accelerating Digital Acceptance in Africa have not gone unnoticed–it received Mastercard’s Innovative Mobile Payment Solution Award at TIA 2022 for its innovative payment solution, SquadPOS.
About Squad
Squad is a complete digital payments solution that is reliable, secure, and affordable, making receiving in-person and online payments simpler and convenient.
Thousands of merchants currently leverage Squad’s payment solutions for their daily business operations. Squad’s current products and service offerings include SquadPOS, Squad Payment Links, Squad Virtual Accounts, USSD, and E-Commerce Storefront.
Find out more at www.squadco.com.
Electric 8-Seater Tula Moto Keke Enters Nigerian Market, Targets Higher Operator Earnings
LAGOS — A new electric-powered tricycle with an expanded passenger capacity has been introduced into Nigeria’s urban transport sector, offering operators a potentially more profitable and eco-friendly alternative to conventional petrol-driven “keke.”
The newly launched 8-seater electric tricycle, now available in Lagos with plans for nationwide distribution, features a dual-row seating arrangement capable of accommodating up to eight passengers per trip—significantly higher than the standard three-passenger configuration common across the country.
Promoters of the innovation say the increased capacity is designed to boost daily earnings for operators, particularly amid persistent fluctuations in fuel prices. By running entirely on electric power, the vehicle eliminates dependence on petrol, reducing operating costs and shielding drivers from fuel price volatility.
According to the distributors, the tricycle is equipped with a durable battery system capable of covering extended distances on a single charge, making it suitable for commercial operations across high-traffic routes, residential estates, campuses, and marketplaces.
“The concept is straightforward—enable drivers to earn more while spending less,” a company representative stated. “With higher passenger capacity and zero fuel requirements, operators can maximise each trip without the burden of daily fuel expenses.”
Beyond its cost-saving potential, the electric keke is also said to require less maintenance than traditional models, offering additional long-term savings. Its quieter and smoother operation is expected to enhance passenger comfort and overall commuting experience.
Industry analysts note that the introduction of electric mobility solutions reflects a growing shift toward cleaner and more sustainable transportation alternatives in Nigeria, particularly in densely populated urban centres such as Lagos.
The distributors added that the product is currently available under a limited promotional offer, with delivery options across the country.
For inquiries and purchase: 📞 08153432071
📞 08035889103
Office Address:
📍 Plot 9, Block 113, Beulah Plaza,
Lekki–Epe Expressway,
Lekki Phase 1, Lagos
As transportation costs continue to rise and environmental concerns gain prominence, innovations like the electric 8-seater keke may signal an emerging transition toward more efficient and sustainable mobility solutions nationwide.
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