SANWO-OLU REWARDS LASU’S BEST GRADUATING STUDENTS WITH ₦20M EACH
By Emmanuel Daniji
Dangote, Kekere-Ekun, Adesola receive honorary doctorates as 20,604 students graduate
LAGOS — Lagos State Governor and Visitor to Lagos State University (LASU), Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has rewarded the institution’s two best graduating students with ₦20 million each, as the university held its 29th and 30th combined convocation ceremonies at the Buba Marwa Auditorium, Ojo.
The beneficiaries are Ayilara Lawal Olawale, the best graduating student of the 2024/2025 academic session, who finished with a First Class and a CGPA of 4.96 in Project Management Technology, and Adebanjo Samuel Oluolamide, who emerged best graduating student for the 2025/2026 session after graduating with a First Class and a CGPA of 4.97 in Aerospace Engineering.
Announcing the awards, Governor Sanwo-Olu congratulated the graduates and urged them to see their academic achievements not simply as personal victories, but as a responsibility to contribute to society. He challenged them to become good ambassadors of LASU, Lagos State and Nigeria by applying their knowledge, character and courage to solving real-world problems.
The Governor used the occasion to reflect on the difficult journeys many of the graduates had undertaken to reach the convocation stage. He noted that behind many certificates were stories of sacrifice, financial struggles, family responsibilities, power challenges and personal losses.
“Some of you crossed this stage carrying stories that only your families know,” Sanwo-Olu said, acknowledging graduates who had continued their education despite difficult circumstances. He encouraged them to remember the resilience that brought them to the university and to use their success to inspire others coming behind them.
The ceremony, which produced 20,604 graduands, also marked a significant personal moment for Governor Sanwo-Olu. It was his sixth and final convocation as Visitor to LASU, making the event both a celebration of the university’s achievements and a farewell to the institution’s leadership and graduating community.
Sanwo-Olu highlighted what he described as the remarkable growth of LASU over the years, noting that the institution has become one of the most sought-after universities in Nigeria. According to him, LASU attracted more than 84,000 first-choice applications in both 2025 and 2026, making it the most subscribed university in the country during the period.
He also pointed to the university’s performance in international and national rankings, its research activities and its growing focus on technology. The Governor particularly highlighted LASU’s selection as the South-West host of a TETFund Centre for Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Cyber Sciences, describing the development as evidence of the institution’s growing relevance to the technologies shaping the future.
The Governor also used the occasion to highlight infrastructure projects undertaken during his administration, including the Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu Library Complex, student accommodation, lecture theatres and the university’s student union building.
He described the university library as the largest university library in West Africa and noted that students had affectionately nicknamed it the “Theatre of Dreams”.
Beyond infrastructure, Sanwo-Olu said his administration had expanded access to higher education by increasing the number of Lagos State-owned universities from one to three, with another specialised university for medicine and health sciences in development.
The Governor also called on private-sector organisations, alumni and wealthy individuals to deepen their investment in LASU through scholarships, research grants, laboratories, endowed academic positions and infrastructure.
He argued that supporting education remained one of the most sustainable investments society could make because of its ability to transform individuals and generations.
The convocation also provided an opportunity to recognise prominent Nigerians who were honoured with honorary doctorate degrees by the university. They included industrialist Aliko Dangote, banker Bola Adesola, and Akin Kekere-Ekun, whose careers in industry, banking and public service were celebrated by the institution.
Earlier, the Chancellor of LASU, Oba Olufolarin Ogunsanwo, who presided over his first convocation ceremony, commended the Lagos State Government for its investment in the university and encouraged the graduating students to become solution creators rather than merely consumers of knowledge.
The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Mr. Babatunde Ogala (SAN), also stressed the importance of research, innovation and technology in positioning LASU as a globally competitive institution.
For the outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, the convocation represented the final major ceremony of her five-year tenure. Presenting her administration’s scorecard, she highlighted achievements in academic expansion, research, digital transformation, infrastructure, financial sustainability and staff development.
She disclosed that LASU had completed more than 50 infrastructure projects during her tenure, while its Internally Generated Revenue reportedly grew from approximately ₦3 billion in 2021 to ₦13 billion in 2025. Her administration also expanded student welfare programmes, scholarships, accommodation and digital services.
Governor Sanwo-Olu praised Olatunji-Bello’s leadership, describing her tenure as one that significantly raised LASU’s profile and visibility.
One of the most significant announcements for graduating students came from the Dangote Group. Represented at the ceremony by Fatimah Dangote, the company announced that first-class engineering graduates of LASU would be offered employment opportunities with the Dangote Group after completing their National Youth Service Corps programme.
The announcement added an important dimension to the celebration, turning the convocation from merely a ceremony of academic recognition into a potential gateway to employment for some of the university’s brightest graduates.
For Olawale and Oluolamide, however, the day carried an even greater reward. Their ₦20 million awards placed a financial value on academic excellence while sending a wider message to thousands of LASU students that exceptional performance can attract recognition beyond the certificate.
As the university sent more than 20,000 graduates into the world, the message from the ceremony was clear: education is not simply about earning a degree; it is about acquiring the knowledge, character and courage to create solutions, build communities and shape the future.
