Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos has rewarded two best graduating students of Lagos State University (LASU) with a combined cash gift of N40 million.
Sanwo-Olu announced the N20 million reward for each of the university’s outstanding students for the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 academic sessions during LASU’s 29th and 30th combined convocation ceremonies held at the Ojo campus on Wednesday.
The beneficiaries are Ayilara Olawale, who emerged as the overall best graduating student for the 2024/2025 session, and Adebanjo Oluolamide, the best graduating student for the 2025/2026 session.
Olawale, a Project Management Technology graduate, finished with a 4.96 cumulative grade point average (CGPA) and First Class honours, while Oluolamide, who studied Aerospace Engineering, recorded a 4.97 CGPA, also graduating with First Class honours.
Sanwo-Olu, who is the university’s Visitor, said the N20 million award to each graduate was his personal donation.
“Ayilara Lawal Olawale and Adebanjo Samuel Oluolamide, each one of you will earn 20 million naira each,” the governor said in a video shared on X by his New Media aide, Jubril Gawat.
The governor’s gesture came shortly after Oluolamide received another N10 million award under the Sunbeth Excellence Partnership Programme for emerging as LASU’s overall best graduating student for the 2025/2026 academic session.
Oluolamide was presented with the N10 million prize at a pre-convocation event on Monday, days before the university’s combined convocation.
Celebrating the feat, Oluolamide said he graduated with a 4.97 CGPA among 8,653 graduates in the 2025/2026 session.
“4.97 / 5.00 CGPA. Overall Best Graduating Student, Lagos State University (2025/2026). Out of 8,653 graduates across all faculties, God did it! First Class Honours in Aerospace Engineering,” he said in an X post.
The 2026 combined convocation ceremonies brought together graduates from two academic sessions, with LASU reporting that 20,648 students were graduating.
The university also disclosed that 494 of the graduates earned First Class honours across the two sessions.
Olawale, who obtained a B.Tech (Honours) in Project Management Technology, attributed his academic achievement to divine grace.
“Grateful beyond words to graduate as the Best Graduating Student of Lagos State University, Ojo, for the 2024/2025 Session,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sanwo-Olu urged the 20,604 graduands to deploy the knowledge, character and courage acquired at LASU to solve societal problems and make meaningful contributions to the country.
The governor described the ceremony as his sixth and final convocation as the university’s Visitor, saying it was both a celebration of LASU’s progress and a farewell to the institution’s community.
Addressing the graduands, Sanwo-Olu challenged them to become living proof that a state-owned university could compete favourably with institutions anywhere in the world.
He said their ultimate assessment would not be based on the name of the institution they attended but on the impact and achievements they recorded after graduation.
“Answer with your competence, your character and your courage — and the world will learn to respect your gown,” he said.
Reflecting on LASU’s evolution, the governor traced its establishment to the administration of the late Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande, noting that the university was founded to make higher education more accessible to residents of Lagos.
Sanwo-Olu said LASU had since transformed into a leading institution, recording notable progress in student enrolment, global and national rankings as well as research.
He added that the university emerged as Nigeria’s most subscribed institution in 2025 and 2026, with more than 84,000 prospective students choosing LASU as their first-choice university.
