By Lukman Olabiyi
Lagos State Governor and Visitor to Lagos State University (LASU), Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has announced a personal cash gift of N20 million each to the two overall best graduating students of the institution for the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 academic sessions.
Sanwo-Olu made the announcement on Wednesday at LASU’s 29th and 30th combined convocation ceremonies held at the Buba Marwa Auditorium, Main Campus, Ojo.
The beneficiaries are Ayilara Lawal Olawale, the overall best graduating student for the 2024/2025 academic session and Adebanjo Samuel Oluolamide, who emerged as the best graduating student for the 2025/2026 session.
Olawale, a graduate of Project Management Technology, finished with a 4.96 CGPA and First Class Honours, while Oluolamide, an Aerospace Engineering graduate, recorded a 4.97 CGPA, also graduating with First Class Honours.
Announcing the reward, Sanwo-Olu said each of the outstanding graduates would receive N20 million from him personally.
“Ayilara Lawal Olawale and Adebanjo Samuel Oluolamide, each one of you will earn N20 million each,” the governor said.
The governor, in his address, congratulated the graduands and described the two outstanding students as examples of the excellence being produced by LASU.
He noted that the university produced 494 First Class graduates among the combined graduating cohorts, describing their achievements as evidence of the institution’s growing academic standing.
Sanwo-Olu also paid tribute to students who overcame personal and financial challenges to complete their studies, saying their certificates represented more than academic accomplishments.
The governor said his decision to reward the best graduating students was consistent with his administration’s commitment to education, excellence and youth development.
He urged the graduands to deploy their knowledge and skills in service of society, charging them to become proof that graduates of a state university could compete successfully anywhere in the world.
“Go, and be the proof,” Sanwo-Olu told the graduating students. “Be the proof that a state university can out-think, out-work and out-build any institution anywhere in the world.”
He further urged them to uphold competence, character and courage as they entered the wider world, reminding them that their degrees should be matched by meaningful service to society.
The combined convocation featured 20,604 graduands from the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 academic sessions, including 3,383 postgraduate graduands and 238 new PhD holders.
The ceremony marked Sanwo-Olu’s sixth and final convocation as Visitor to LASU.
(The Sun)