The Chancellor of Covenant University (CU), Dr. David Oyedepo at the weekend warned that the use of social media among the younger generation was a huge distraction, leading them to invest their time wrongly. Oyedepo, Presiding Bishop of Living Faith Church Worldwide, therefore challenged the federal government to regulate social media before it caused the country incalculable damages.
Oyedepo made this remark at the 15th convocation of the university held in Ota, Ogun State, on Friday, lamenting the negative effect of social media on the youths.
Oyedepo, in an address titled “A Wakeup Call to Generation on the Wrong Side of History,” said the social media had eroded the abilities of the nation’s emerging generation, leading to an increase in cyber crimes and other social vices.
The chancellor, also, noted that many youths “are not investing adequate time into resourceful ventures but rather in the wrong usage of social media.
“I recently defined planning as programming to secure the present and capture the future. This needs time for implementation and that is the trap of social media. It unconsciously robs people of their future by robbing them of their time.”
Oyedepo said it was time the nation dealt with the virus of social media before it caused it to have zero number of heroes across all sectors.
“The social media saga has eroded the destinies of most youths today. What is supposed to be a plus has suddenly become a major minus because everything of value is delivered through investment of time.
“Suddenly we are faced with a generation on the wrong side of history. The honour of this generation has been wiped off, chatting all day with no time left to think, plan, programme and engage productively in the pursuit of any task.”
Meanwhile, the keynote speaker, Dr. Valentine Obi said the changing role of higher education in this age of disruption, with a particular focus on the way; computation, data and innovation should be the centre of learning in the fourth industrialisation age.
Obi, also Founder and Group CEO, eTranzact Global, said online learning platforms and adaptive courses from big technological firms are competing with the traditional institutions across the world.
According to him, it is high time our higher institution focused on a lifelong learning programme in their school programme. Obi, however, warned that the $4.6 trillion global educational market should be a wakeup call for African universities to close the gap between industry and business.
Citing examples of emerging exponential technological innovations in health, transportation, housing, Obi called on institutions to begin to focus on teaching applied learning that relates to people’s needs.
“Education is no longer just for your citizens. It is now a global franchise. The pandemic at least showed us that. People were able to study from unimaginable distances,” he added.
However, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof Abiodun Adebayo, noted that Covenant University as a leading world-class university “is committed to global sustainability initiatives and would continue to undertake actions to promote the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“Covenant University has continued to provide quality education and learning opportunities for lifelong learning through our Centre for Lifelong Learning and the African Leadership Development Centre, where short courses are offered in diverse fields of knowledge.”
According to him, a total number of 1,664 Bachelor and 254 Higher Degrees were conferred on persons who were found worthy in character and in learning.
Miss Paula-Peace Onyinyechi, a graduate of Biochemistry Department, College of Sciences, emerged the best graduating student, with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.98.