WATS, a non-denominational theological institute was established in 1989 by Prof. Gary Maxey, an American missionary in Nigeria.

Dr. Gava’s appointment is coming eight months after the death of the former provost, Pastor Oluwafemi Martins.

The appointment of Dr. Gava brings to seven the number of provosts that have served in the institution since its inception.

Gava was presented to the WATS community during a brief but impressive ceremony on Wednesday, February 1.

Chairman of WATS governing council Dr. Emmanuel Oluwayemi; the Vice Chairman, Dr. Kelvin Tapere, the Director of Administration, Dr. Tosin Awolalu (who has been acting since the transition of Pastor Martins) and a host of other lecturers and council members were at the presentation ceremony.

Oluwayemi who spoke at the event expressed appreciation to God, saying  “tough times don’t last but tough people do. Leaders solve problems and see solutions because every problem has a solution. Today, God has answered our prayers because he has given WATS a new provost.”

He expressed confidence in the ability of the new provost stating that “God has sent him at a time like this in history to put WATS on the path of progress.”

According to Oluwayemi, “The arrival of the new provost is timely as the number seven represents perfection.”

He said Gava had been a friend of WATS and also an adjunct faculty member for over ten years.

“Indeed, God does his own things in his own way in his own time and the time is now for WATS.”

While presenting Gava to the WATS community, he said, “On this first day of February 2023, the Governing Council Chairman officially unveils Dr. Daudu Gava as the new provost of WATS.”

The founder of the institution, Prof Garey Maxey, who could not attend the event expressed joy at the coming of Dr. Gava.

In a message read on his behalf, he regretted he could not be at the event due to ill health.

He however noted that “WATS has steadfastly passed through eight long months under the interim leadership of Dr. Tosin Awolalu, after the very unwelcome passing away of our beloved provost, Pastor Olufemi Martins.”

Maxey expressed gratitude to Dr. Awolalu for his steadfast leadership during the period saying, “I for one will never forget it.”

He added: “But today is the most proper and appropriate time for all of us to sing and celebrate with the appointment and the assumption of office by our new provost, Dr. Dauda Gava.

“I wish to register my 100% backing of this development. I have known Dr. Gava for well over ten years, and have been with him in Lagos, Adamawa State, and the United States of America. I have seen him display a very firm love for WATS, and a long-standing desire to be part of this institution.”

While noting that Dr. Gava has a challenging task ahead of him, he said, “We believe in you. Our prayers and our constant support are with you.”

He called on the WATS community to pray for him and give him all the backing he needs to succeed.

The General Secretary of the EYN Church of the Brethren in Nigeria, Rev Daniel Mbaya who was also at the event expressed his excitement for the WATS community.

He noted that “Dr. Gava is one of the few outstanding men EYN is releasing to WATS as a partnership with WATS to promote the agenda of advancing God’s kingdom as practised by EYN and WATS.”

He urged the WATS community to support him through prayers and other possible ways.

The EYN GS noted that “Dr. Gava has become the link between the North and the South which has opened the ground for partnership between WATS and EYN for leadership training and Kingdom advancement.

The new provost in a statement expressed his delight to be in WATS as God’s doing.

He said, “it is a new time and a new beginning for WATS.”

While conceding that leadership was not an easy task he expressed confidence that everything would be done appropriately to enable the Seminary to stand for its vision and mission.

He promised to work closely with the Governing Council Chairman for the progress of the school.

He thanked Dr. Awolalu for a job well done during his tenure as Acting Provost.

The Vice Chairman of the institution’s Governing Council, Dr. Kelvin Tapere, closed the event with a short prayer and encouraged all stakeholders in the school to join hands to make the institution better.

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He made the declaration on Saturday while delivering the 32nd convocation lecture of the West Africa Theological Seminary, WATS.

WATS is a non-denominational seminary.

It was founded by an American, Prof Gary Maxey.

Jegede  spoke on the topic, “The Role of Technology Enhanced Learning in Improving Content and Context of Theological Education in Africa.”

In the course of the lecture, he touched on many indices of development warning that any nation that did not give priority to education could not attain any meaningful height.

He said, “There is a clear and direct relationship between a country’s development, economic progress, and education offered to its people.

“Illiteracy, poverty, and low development indices have roots in low level of education. Today, more than ever, the main wealth source is knowledge. The global economy is being transformed from a material-based economy to a knowledge-based economy.”

While noting that education is the universally acclaimed propelling power of any development in any nation, he said, “the thermometre to measure the development of any country is its education.”

Quoting two former world leaders, Nelson Mandela of South Africa and Paulo Freire, a Brazillian Marxist, Jegede said “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. No country can really develop unless its citizens are educated. Education does not change the world. Education changes people, people change the world.”

He, however, said imparting knowledge is no longer done the old way.

“You need to research every day. The teacher must also realise that the attention span is no longer more than 30 minutes so the content and the delivery have to be interactive and up to date.”

The NOUN emeritus professor further told the graduating students that they must not rest on their oars, adding that their degrees only had about five years life span.

He said, “Be warned, the degree you will receive later today has a use-by-date of less than five years. In fact, we are told that the half-life of all the knowledge we have in our brains is only 18 months.  Without going back to school and learning daily, you will quickly be out of date earlier than you think. Moreover, in today’s world, a first degree now measures no more like the West African School Certificate of some decades ago. You must make it a point of duty, even at great discomfort to yourself and your family, to acquire more knowledge on a daily basis through several channels including, of course, the ubiquitous internet.”

For the seminarians, he noted that they had been called to a special duty for the Lord.

“You are going into the field to harvest souls for God Almighty. You would agree with me that while you have your job cut out for you, you have a leadership role to play in evangelisation of this nation and the rest of West Africa and the world at large.”

He stressed that graduating students needed much more than the daily acquisition of knowledge to deal with all life issues.

“You require a daily walk with God to skillfully meander through the obstacles and challenges of life. Just as you relied heavily on faith while you were beginning this programme at WATS, you require faith in more than double dose to deal with the world.”

Jegede who said he built his own website by himself in 1995 then underscored the importance of technology.

He urged the WATS community to embrace technology and deploy it for the emancipation of humanity.

He said all available technological tools should be used in learning adding that any preacher of the gospel disdaining technology is living in the past.

Rather than discourage people from using the internet, preachers according to him should rather encourage its use for Bible references during their sermons so that their congregation will not be distracted while the message is being preached.

He praised the effort of the founder of WATS, Professor Gary Maxey, describing him as an instrument of change who listens to God for direction.

Jegede expressed great delight at the humongous intellectual and theological resources in the WATS community.

He urged the authorities to invest in digitalising the resources.

Earlier at the event, the Chairman, Governing Council of the seminary, Dr. Emmanuel Oluwayemi, noted that the seminary had survived all odds till date.

He expressed confidence that the seminary had a great future adding that the graduating students were trained to serve not to be served.

WATS founder, Prof Maxey, expressed similar sentiment adding that 2023 holds a lot of hope for the seminary.

The Acting Provost of WATS, Dr Tosin Awolalu, expressed confidence in the calibre of graduates produced by the institution.

He charged the graduating students to be worthy ambassadors of the school.

He said the institution committed to its holiness creed and its resolve to cause a revolution in the lives of people through the instrument of theological education.

A total number of 66 students graduated from the foremost theological institute of learning.

The breakdown of graduands is as follows: B.A. Theology (40); Postgraduate Dip. (4); M.A. Christian Leadership (5); M.A. Biblical Studies (3); M.A. Christian Education (4); M.A. Intercultural Studies (2); Master of Divinity (8); and Doctor of Ministry (1).

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The convocation will hold on Saturday, December 10 at the Ipaja, Lagos campus of the institution.

Professor Jegede will address the topic:  The Role of TEL (Technological Enhanced Learning) in Improving Content and Context of Theological Education in Africa.

A total number of 66 students are expected to graduate from the foremost theological institute of learning.

The breakdown of graduands is as follows:  B.A. Theology (40), Postgraduate Dip. (4), M.A. Christian Leadership (5), M.A. Biblical Studies (3), M.A. Christian Education (4), M.A. Intercultural Studies (2), Master of Divinity (8), and Doctor of Ministry (1).

WATS Acting Provost, Dr. Tosin Awolalu, in a statement said the convocation lecture theme was carefully chosen to address current reality in theological education.

“Today, we are obviously confronted with the need of harnessing technology and especially it’s deployment for improvement of theological learning environment, a reality we cannot run away from.

“It is this understanding that informed the theme of the convocation and the choice of speaker.

“Prof. Jegede was the VC of an institution that has deployed technology, providing instructionally designed materials in diverse formats maximally to disseminate knowledge. It will be great to learn from him. The entire WATS community is looking forward to the convocation lecture.”

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