Covenant University and an international capacity development and consulting firm, Canada Executive Management and Professional Centre (CEMP), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on a partnership that will see the University running Professional Management Courses and its students enjoying research grants from international agencies.
Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony on Thursday, February 2, 2017 at the University campus in Ota, Ogun State, the Vice-President, International Engagement, CEMP, Dr. Yomi Oyekoya, said that, the formal agreement between his organization and Covenant University entails the University starting Project Management courses in partnership with the Project Management Institute (PMI) in the United States.
The PMI, he explained, gives out a Registered Education Provider (REP) license to institutions to run Project Management courses and Covenant University would be granted a similar license very soon.
No other organization, according to Dr. Oyekoya, runs Project Management Courses like the PMI. “In Nigeria, many people travel abroad to take the courses. Some universities in Nigeria currently have Project Management Courses but the certificate is not recognized abroad. However, PMI’s certificate is recognized all over the world,” he said.
Running the Project Management Courses in Covenant University, he enthused, will draw many people, especially top executives, to the University. “No institution in Nigeria has the PMI Registered Education Provider license. Covenant University will be the first in Nigeria and third in Africa to have the license,” he added.
Expressing his happiness that Covenant University was joining the league of top universities in the world to start Project Management Certification, the CEMP representative noted that project management fits into every discipline and it’s for everybody.
Dr. Oyekoya further stated that aside the plan for Covenant University to run Project Management Courses, CEMP had in a bid to help the University achieve its goals under the Research, Citation, Innovation and Teaching (ReCiTe) Agenda, discovered the availability of a grant in the region of $5 billion, from which students of African universities, including Covenant University can benefit.
Following the brief MoU signing ceremony, which was supervised by members of the Covenant University legal team, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor AAA. Atayero, in his remarks, expressed optimism that with the University being the third in Africa to get the PMI Registered Education Provider license, it will take the institution to a new height.
“This keys into the University’s Vision of being one of the top 10 universities in the world in another five years; I pray it quickens the speed of its delivery,” said the Vice-Chancellor.
Dr. Oyekoya was accompanied to the event by CEMP’s Brand Communication Director, Dr. Kunle Hamilton; Head, International Business Research, Dr. Babajimi Hammond; Legal Adviser, Ms. Bunmi Ogunye; and Creative Manager, Mr. Owodunni Otunuga.
Other Covenant University representatives were the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Shalom Chinedu; Registrar, Mrs. Mary Aboyade; Director, Financial Services, Pastor Bayo Oladehinbo; Dean, College of Business and Social Sciences, Professor Francis Iyoha; including Directors and Heads of Departments.