The Vice-Chancellor of Covenant University, Professor Timothy A. Anake, has called on leaders and key stakeholders across Africa to act fast in developing the continent. He made this appeal during the 2nd Covenant University Conference on Leadership and Development (CUCLeD 2025) held from June 11 to 13, 2025, at the university’s CUCRID Auditorium.
The theme of the well-attended conference was “Integrating Technology, Innovation, and Leadership for Africa’s Development,”. The event brought together scholars, policymakers, and thought leaders to discuss ways to fast-track sustainable development in Africa.
In his opening speech, Professor Anake stressed the importance of adopting strong and strategic leadership to drive real change. He said the conference theme reflects Covenant University’s Vision 7:2030, which focuses on research excellence, innovation-driven education, global relevance, and purposeful leadership. He noted that these are not just goals on paper but steps the university is actively pursuing to support Africa’s growth.
Speaking at the event, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Lanre Amodu presented a paper titled “Effective Communication Skills for Leaders.” He warned that building physical infrastructure without also developing the people who will run it could lead to failure. He called for improved communication skills among African leaders to improve performance and ensure lasting development.
The Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Professor Moses Duruji, spoke on “Cultivating the Leaders of Tomorrow.” He urged young people to start leading early, using examples like David and Joseph from the Bible, as well as modern youth figures like Zuriel Oduwole and Malala Yousafzai, to demonstrate that young people can make a significant difference if given the chance. The conference ended with a strong call to action for everyone to turn the ideas shared into real solutions that will help move Africa forward.
