Sanwo-Olu Gifts LASU Best Graduating Students N20m Each

Lagos State Governor and Visitor to Lagos State University (LASU), Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has rewarded the institution’s best graduating students for the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 academic sessions with N20 million each.

The governor announced the cash gifts 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, who emerged best graduating student for the 2024/2025 session with a 4.96 CGPA in Project Management Technology, and Adebanjo Samuel Oluolamide, who graduated with a 4.97 CGPA in Aerospace Engineering for the 2025/2026 session.

Sanwo-Olu also charged the 20,604 graduands to be good ambassadors of LASU, Lagos State and Nigeria, urging them to use their education, character and courage to contribute meaningfully to society.

“Deploy your knowledge, character and courage to solve problems and contribute meaningfully to society. Be good ambassadors of this great institution, Lagos State and Nigeria,” the governor told the graduands.

The governor, who described the ceremony as his sixth and final convocation as Visitor to LASU, said the occasion was both a celebration of the university’s achievements and a farewell to the institution’s community.

He reflected on LASU’s growth since its establishment more than four decades ago under the administration of the late Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande, noting that the institution had developed into a major university with significant achievements in student demand, rankings and research.

Sanwo-Olu highlighted some of the infrastructure and educational investments undertaken by his administration, including the Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu Library Complex, a student union building, additional lecture theatres and halls, as well as investments in student accommodation.

According to him, the administration has also expanded access to tertiary education by increasing the number of state-owned universities from one to three, while another specialised university for medicine and health sciences is in the pipeline.

The governor called on corporate organisations, alumni and philanthropists to further support LASU through endowments, research funding, scholarships and infrastructure development.

He also commended the outgoing Vice-Chancellor of LASU, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, for what he described as a period of growth and increased visibility for the university.

Sanwo-Olu noted that the convocation was also Olatunji-Bello’s final ceremony as Vice-Chancellor, making the occasion a significant closing chapter for both their tenures at the university.

The convocation also featured the conferment of honorary doctorate degrees on prominent Nigerians, including Aliko Dangote, Akin Kekere-Ekun and Bola Adesola.

Sanwo-Olu congratulated the honorary graduands, describing their contributions to industry, banking and public service as worthy examples for the graduating students.

Earlier, the Chancellor of LASU, Oba Olufolarin Ogunsanwo, who presided over his first convocation ceremony, commended Sanwo-Olu and the Lagos State Government for their investments in education.

He urged the graduands to become creators of solutions rather than merely consumers of knowledge, charging them to deploy their education towards addressing societal challenges.