The programme, which has its theme, "Corporate Strategies for Building Efficient Teams" started on Monday, January 7, 2008 with the principal officers of the University while the Professors/Heads of Department and other faculty across the University's three Colleges will have theirs on January 8 and 9 respectively.

While declaring the Advance open on behalf of the Chancellor, Dr David Oyedepo, the Vice Chancellor, Prof Aize Obayan, said the core responsibilities of leadership in corporate strategy was basically that of pointing the direction in which personal and group potential lie as well as understanding the environment in which one operates and providing an agenda of things that would have an effect on the future.

Prof Obayan, who also made presentation, titled, "The centrality of corporate strategies in Driving Efficiency," said that the core issues in corporate strategy in Covenant University revolves around the University's core values, the future, the people and the plan for actualizing the envisioned future. She further pointed out that Covenant University strategy must be consistent with what will make the University robust and ahead of other universities.

The Registrar, Yemi Nathaniel, while speaking also on the topic: "Administering Efficient Team", urged the participants to imbibe team spirit and be concerned on the type of team they build as well as what to expect in the team. He said an efficient team was one that performs well together giving the maximum synergy yield by commitment to vision, change and knowing the individuals that make the team.

He explained that building efficient teams requires a common goal for which everyone has shared responsibility, full understanding and commitment to goals, a clear understanding about who the members of the team are and what roles they perform.

Also speaking at the occasion, the Dean of Student Affairs, Dr Daniel Rotimi, who made presentation titled, 'Spirituality and Team Synergy,' said building an institution of global relevance requires a global team and if there must be corporate efficiency, team synergy was inevitable.

Dr Rotimi, who defined spirituality as operating in the fear of God, said spiritual requirements for an efficient team include certified and dynamic relationship with God, commitment/total dedication for the work, meekness, unity, team spirit, faith, transparency and integrity.

The Chancellor, Dr David Oyedepo, who spoke also on 'Revisiting the Covenant University Vision' at the occasion, said most organizations are stagnated today because they do not have well define vision, saying that vision gives sense of direction. He said the University's vision was divinely delivered with the aim of raising rescue agents to change the value system in the polity.

He said the problem of Africa today was that of leadership, adding that Covenant University vision is that of raising a new generation of leaders to fill the leadership vacuum in the continent. He said the university was unique and is not interested in quality teaching alone but quality life style through sound biblical principle. "We want to raise a set of people who would say no to corruption', he further explained.

This year's Executive Advance, third in the series, also featured an interactive session and had in attendance the Deans of Colleges and Postgraduate School; Director, Financial Services; Director, Centre for Learning Resources; Director, Centre for Systems and Information Services; Acting Chief Medical Officer, University Health Centre and University Chaplain as well as Prof Ekundayo Adeyemi and Prof Joshua Adewale Thompson Ojo.