Covenant University is arguably the best private university in Nigeria. It is also one of the most expensive institutions of higher learning in the country, with school fees ranging from N937,500 to N1 million per session. The school was founded by David Oyedepo, the bishop of Living Faith Church Worldwide who serves as the university’s Chancellor. It started its operations on 21st October 2002 with the motto: Raising a New Generation of Leaders.
A Brief History of Covenant University
Covenant University (CU) is a private university in Nigeria affiliated with Living Faith Church Worldwide. The university is located in Canaanland, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria. As an academic institution, it is a member of the National Universities Commission (NUC) of Nigeria, Association of Commonwealth Universities, and Association of African Universities. The university came to be out of the works of the Liberation Commission and was established by Living Faith Church Worldwide and World Mission Agency.
CU runs programs for undergraduates and postgraduates, and it also runs a collegiate system made up of four colleges. They are;
- College of Engineering (COE)
- College of Business and Social Sciences (CBSS)
- The College of Science and Technology (CST)
- College of Leadership Development Studies (CLDS)
Having produced thousands of graduates over the years, Covenant University today has many notable alumni who are celebrities in Nigeria. It is worthy of note that most of the careers of these people do not reflect the courses they studied in the university.
Covenant University Alumni Who Are Celebrities
1. Ini Dima Okojie
- Age: 33 years old
- Year of Entry/Graduation: NA
- Course Studied: International Relations
- Career: Actress and Style Icon
- Other Schools Attended: New York Film Academy (NYFA)
Ini Dima Okojie is a Nollywood actress who started acting in 2014. She was born into a family of four on 24th June 1990 in Lagos State, Nigeria. She studied International Relations at this prestigious university. Ini worked as an Investment Banker before quitting the job for acting. She started her career in Nollywood as a production assistant in the movie Before 30. The actress later got her acting debut in the Nollywood industry with the TV series, Taste of Love in 2014. Since then, she has been starring in movies and TV shows. Acting is her passion, and she is living up to it.
2. Adebukola Oladipupo
- Age: 29 years old
- Year of Entry/Graduation: NA
- Course Studied: Management Information Systems
- Career: Actress
- Other Schools Attended: N/A
Adebukola Oladipupo was born in London on 23rd May 1994. She attended Babcock High School and Caleb International School for her secondary school education. Later on, she attended Covenant University where she graduated with a degree in Management Information Systems.
Oladipupo got the inspiration to act when she was still in the university. Consequently, she made her acting debut in MTV’s Shuga in 2015. In the same year, she featured in three other TV shows, The Other Me, Indigo (season 1), and Inevitable. Since then, she has continued starring in movies and TV shows.
3. Mimi Onalaja
- Age: 33 years old
- Year of Graduation: 2010
- Course Studied: International Relations
- Career: Actress, TV Personality, Host
- Other Schools Attended: New York Film Academy
Mimi Onalaja, whose full name is Omowunmi Onalaja, was born on 25th September 1990 in Lagos State, Nigeria. She attended Kemsing International School, Ikoyi and Queens College, Yaba, Lagos. Mimi worked in HR consulting after her National Youth Service, but she left the job for the entertainment industry where she feels she would be happy. She left the corporate world but didn’t drop her career there. Her first opportunity in her newfound career was with Nemesia Studios as a producer. Since then, Onalaja has hosted TV shows at EbonyLife. Some of the TV shows she has hosted include The Future Awards Africa, ELOY Awards, Play to Win, and Game Show. The actress has also starred in two movies; Smart Money Woman and Shades of Love Edit. She also loves fashion and has some columns on Style Vitae.
4. Ric Hassani
- Age: 35 years old
- Year of Entry/Graduation: NA
- Course Studied: NA
- Career: Nigerian Musician and Songwriter
- Other Schools Attended: University of Surrey
Ikechukwu Eric Ahiazu, popularly known as Ric Hassani, is a Nigerian musician and songwriter. He was born on 6th January 1989, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. He graduated from Covenant University before enrolling at the University of Surrey where he got his Master’s degree in Energy Economics.
Ric’s single, “Gentleman”, and his album, The African Gentleman, brought him into the spotlight in 2016. Another popular song of his is “Only You” (featuring El Polimata and Alenoise). On the 26th of January 2021, he released the album The Prince I Became. Hassani owns his own record label called Riverland Records. Again, he has his own mode of dressing, and he dresses like a model, Tom Ford collection with African prints. Since his first song, Ric has released more albums and has also delved into other businesses.
5. Simi
- Age: 36 years old
- Year of Entry/Graduation: NA
- Course Studied: Mass Communication
- Career: Singer, Actress, and Songwriter
- Other Schools Attended: Nil
Simisola Kosoko, popularly known as Simi, is a Nigerian singer, actress, and songwriter. She was born on 19th April 1988 in Ojuelegba, Surulere, Lagos State. Coming from a broken family, the singer has three elder brothers; she is the last child and the only girl. Simi attended Stars International College, Ikorodu, Lagos, and got her degree in Mass Communication from Covenant University. The course she studied does not partly reflect her current career path because both of them have to do with the TV and the audience.
Simi’s passion for singing was birthed at an early age. She started writing songs at the age of 10, and she joined the church choir as a teenager. Simi launched her debut album Ogaju in 2008 under Samklef’s record label with the songs “Ara Ile” and “Iya Temi”. It was in 2014 that she was brought into prominence with the song “Tiff”. The singer went into a contract with X3M Music record label from 2014 to 2019. She released albums like Simisola in 2017 and Omo Charlie Champagne vol. 1 in 2019 under the label.
Simi now owns her own record label called Studio Brat, which started operating in June 2019. Singing and songwriting have earned her so many awards and brought her fame as well as wealth.
6. Chike
- Age: 31 years old
- Year of Graduation: 2014
- Course Studied: Computer Engineering
- Career: Singer, Actor, and Songwriter
- Other Schools Attended: N/A
Chike-Ezekpeazu Osebuka, whose stage name is Chike, is a Nigerian singer, actor, and songwriter who is known for his soulful songs. He comes from a family of four, and they are from Onitsha in Anambra State, Nigeria. Chike has a degree in Computer Engineering, but he is fully into music. Television reality shows are what brought the singer into prominence. The artist participated in the 2015 Project Fame West Africa and was among the top 10 before his eviction. Again, he participated in The Voice Nigeria Season 1 and finished as a runner-up. He was picked up by Universal Republic after the contest, and he released his first single titled Fancy U in 2016.
Coming from a family that is musically endowed, singing was not so difficult for him. Meanwhile, he revealed in an interview with Premium Times that the life of a singer is not easy, but he is into it because of the love he has for it and not just the money. Chike has since delved into acting, making his acting debut in 2017 with the Africa Magic TV show Battleground.
7. Nonso Amadi
- Age: 28 years old
- Year of Entry/Graduation: NA
- Course Studied: Chemical Engineering
- Career: Singer, Songwriter, and Music Producer
- Other Schools Attended: Swansea University, United Kingdom, and McMaster University, Canada
Nonso Amadi is a Nigerian Afro-R&B and Soul singer, songwriter, and music producer based in Canada. Being the third child in a family of seven, he is a self-educated songwriter. He attended St Gregory’s College in Lagos for his secondary education and Covenant University, where he studied Chemical Engineering. Further, he completed his degree at Swansea University, United Kingdom, before enrolling for a Master’s degree program at McMaster University, Canada.
The Covenant University alumni started singing in 2012 when he was still in school. He discovered his singing career while studying for a degree in Engineering. However, it was not until 2015 that the singer released his first EP titled Alone. In the same year, he released a hit single titled “Tonight” which gave him worldwide recognition. Ever since then, the singer has been singing alongside popular singers like Banky W, Maleek Berry, and Juls. His songs have been streamed numerous times on Spotify and Apple, and he has thousands of followers on social media.
8. Bez
- Age: 40 years old
- Year of Graduation: 2007
- Course Studied: Information and Communication Technology
- Career: Singer, Instrumentalist, Composer, and Songwriter
- Other Schools Attended: Nil
Emmanuel Bez Idakula, famously known only as Bez, is a Nigerian instrumentalist, singer, composer and songwriter focused on the Alternative Soul genre of music. He was born in Plateau State on 10th November 1983 into a family that is musically inclined. He studied Information and Communication Technology at Covenant University and graduated in 2007. Even though his father was a politician before his death, he always plays music with his family. The whole family participated in the music-making process as their father played the guitar, their mother sang, and the four children were the sing-along audience. This gave Bez a kind of background and foundation for his musical career. He later left his ICT course for the entertainment industry.
Bez started his singing career when he was still in the university, singing in open mic concerts where artists showcased their talents. It was during one of those nights that he met singer Praiz. The duo later on in life released a song called “That Stupid Song”. The artist released his album titled Super Sun in 2011, which contained the aforementioned stupid song. Since then, his musical career has been on the rise, and he has released more albums and songs, some of which include “My Baby” and “Gbagyi Child”.
9. Bimbo Ademoye
- Age: 33 years old
- Year of Entry/Graduation: NA
- Course Studied: Business Administration
- Career: Actress
- Other Schools Attended: Nil
Bimbo Aisha Ademoye is a Nigerian actress who features in Nollywood movies. She was born on the 4th of February 1991 in Lagos State, Nigeria. The actress attended Mayflower Secondary School, Ikenne, Ogun State, for her secondary school education and is an alum of Covenant University where she studied Business Administration. Even though she was raised by a single father, Bimbo’s dad was always there for her and her sister. She had a passion for acting from when she was seven when she acted in a stage play with an audience of 600 people. That was her first trial on what celebrity life looks like. After school, the actress worked as a marketer, in line with the course she studied in school. She also worked as a front desk officer before entering the movie industry.
Bimbo started her acting career in 2014 with the movie Where Talent Lies, produced by Uduak Isong-Oguamanam. Again in 2015, she featured in Uduak’s It’s About Your Husband. Ademoye says that Uduak is her mentor, and she gave her the assistance she needed in the movie industry. Since her acting debut, the actress has starred in many movies, some of which are Looking for Baami (2019), This Is It (2016), Kamsi (2018), and Sugar Rush (2019).
10. Etinosa Idemudia
- Age: N/A
- Year of Graduation: 2011
- Course Studied: Computer Engineering
- Career: Actress, Filmmaker, and Social Media Influencer
- Other Schools Attended: Royal Arts Academy, Lagos Nigeria
Etinosa Idemudia is a Nigerian actress, filmmaker, and social media influencer born in Warri, Delta State. Although her year of birth is unknown, she celebrates her birthday on 9th March. She is from Edo State, Nigeria. The actress had her early education at Victory International School, Warri, Cambridge International School, Warri, and Igbenedion Education Centre, Edo State. Later, she attended Covenant University for her university education and graduated with a degree in Computer Engineering in 2011. The actress worked in an engineering company for a while before switching to acting. She went ahead and enrolled in the Royal Arts Academy where she obtained a diploma in Performing Arts in 2016. With this, she left her engineering career and joined the entertainment industry full-time.
Etinosa started doing comedy skits in 2013, uploading them to social media. In 2016, she started acting when she played the role of a ‘waka pass’ in the movie White Lie. Since then, she has starred in movies like How to Die in an African Home, Losing Control, Love in the Wrong Places, The Washerman – the first movie she produced in 2018.
Recap of Famous Celebrities Who Are Covenant University Alumni
- Ini Dima Okojie
- Adebukola Oladipupo
- Mimi Onalaja
- Ric Hassani
- Simisola Kosoko (Simi)
- Chike-Ezekpeazu Osebuka
- Nonso Amadi
- Emmanuel Bez Idakula
- Bimbo Ademoye
- Etinosa Idemudia