Sanwo-Olu N20m LASU Gift: Governor Rewards University’s Best Graduating Students
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, August 19, 2026, 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 the gift personally from him, stating, “Ayilara Lawal Olawale and Adebanjo Samuel Oluolamide, each one of you will earn N20 million each.”
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. More than 20,000 students, specifically 20,604 graduands, were conferred degrees across the two combined sessions.
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. He charged the 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 Jakande, framing the day’s convocation as a milestone in the university’s continuing academic development.
The N20 million reward adds to a series of honours received by Oluolamide following his exceptional academic performance. Only days before the governor’s announcement, Oluolamide was presented with a separate N10 million cash prize under the Sunbeth Excellence Partnership Programme after emerging as LASU’s overall best graduating student for the 2025/2026 academic session, bringing his total recognition from the two awards to N30 million. LASU Vice-Chancellor, Prof Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, had earlier announced the two best graduating students ahead of the combined convocation ceremonies.
Sanwo-Olu said his decision to reward the best graduating students was consistent with his administration’s commitment to education, excellence and youth development, positioning the cash gifts as an incentive for other students across the state to pursue similarly high standards of academic achievement.
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