Founder and Senior Pastor of The Covenant Nation, Pastor Poju Oyemade, has warned young Nigerians that mastery and innovation are no longer just advantages, they are essential survival skills.

Speaking at the fourth convocation ceremony of Trinity University, Yaba, Lagos, Oyemade emphasised that whether graduates choose to seek opportunities abroad (“Japa”) or return home (“Japada”), their ability to innovate will be the ultimate test of their success.

Oyemade, who was represented by an Associate Pastor and Consultant Paediatrician at LUTH, Dr. Yemi Oshinaike, highlighted that the world is currently defined by the Fourth Industrial Revolution. He said this era, characterised by artificial intelligence, robotics, and biotechnology, demands a shift in how the next generation approaches problem-solving.

“Innovation is a constant feature of human history,” Oyemade noted. “It represents the refusal of human beings to accept limitations as final.”

While acknowledging Nigeria’s existing successes in Fintech, banking, and the creative industries, he challenged the new graduates to consider what unique contributions their own generation will bring to the global stage.

To thrive in this rapidly evolving landscape, the lecturer outlined three critical focus areas.

Oyemade called for collaborative innovation, noting that the era of “isolated brilliance” is over. Future success will be built through networks, teams, and institutional ecosystems, he said.

While advising them to develop a problem-solving mindset, the pastor asked graduates to constantly ask: What inefficiency can I challenge? What system can I improve?

He also stated that graduation marks the transition from theoretical knowledge to “applied learning,” where a degree proves exposure, but innovation proves mastery.

Chairman of the occasion and Chairman of the Editorial Board for The Nation, Mr. Sam Omatseye, reinforced these sentiments.

He cautioned students against taking their education for granted, urging them to lead purpose-driven lives and channel their youthful energy into building productive networks.