OTA, Ogun State — Bishop David Oyedepo, Chancellor of Covenant University, has charged the institution’s graduating Class of 2026 to recognise that life is a battlefield rather than a playground, urging them to take deliberate responsibility for their future through strong faith in God.
Speaking at the Special Convocation Assembly marking the university’s convocation ceremonies for the 2025/2026 academic session, Oyedepo told the graduands that success and purpose would not come by chance. He described life as a series of battles that demand spiritual preparation and active engagement rather than passive enjoyment.
“Life is a battlefield, not a playground,” the chancellor declared, according to the university’s official account and multiple reports of the event. He emphasised that youths must build their faith deliberately, describing it as a practical spiritual force capable of attracting divine intervention and overcoming life’s challenges.
“Don’t wait for your faith to grow, but grow your faith. Build your faith today and it becomes testimony tomorrow,” Oyedepo said. He stressed that faith is neither a mere principle nor a strategy but a spiritual force central to the benefits of redemption, nurtured through hearing and understanding the word of God. He urged the graduating students to take responsibility for their spiritual growth, particularly as they prepare for the next phase of life, including the National Youth Service Corps.
The charge came during the university’s convocation activities, which culminated in the formal graduation of 1,843 students — 1,655 undergraduates and 188 postgraduates — on October 30, 2026. Of the undergraduates, 371 earned First Class honours. Etta Queendolin of the Department of Computer Engineering emerged as the overall best graduating student with a CGPA of 4.99.
In her remarks, Pro-Chancellor Faith Oyedepo prayed that nothing would frustrate God’s plans for the graduating students, just as divine guidance had sustained the university’s growth since its establishment. Vice-Chancellor Professor Timothy Anake congratulated the Class of 2025/2026, expressed gratitude for the institution’s continued impact, and urged the graduates to remain focused on their goals.
During the main convocation ceremony, Oyedepo further counselled the graduates to become problem-solvers rather than storytellers or entertainers, stressing that life remains meaningless without a discovered purpose. He advised them not to wander from their God-ordained paths and to actively solve problems rather than wait for solutions to appear.
Covenant University, located in Ota, Ogun State, and founded under the Living Faith Church Worldwide, continues to position itself as a leading private institution focused on raising leaders of impact. The chancellor’s message aligned with the university’s core values of spirituality, possibility mentality, capacity building, integrity, responsibility, diligence and sacrifice.
The Class of 2026 leaves the institution with a clear charge: approach the battles of life with prepared faith, purpose and a commitment to contribute solutions to society.
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