Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has rewarded the overall best graduating students of Lagos State University with ₦20 million each, in recognition of their outstanding academic performances.
The Governor announced the financial rewards on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, during the combined 29th and 30th convocation ceremonies of Lagos State University, Ojo.
The two beneficiaries are Ayilara Olawale, who emerged as LASU’s overall best graduating student for the 2024/2025 academic session, and Adebanjo Oluolamide, who achieved the same distinction for the 2025/2026 session.
Sanwo-Olu made the announcement while addressing the university community during the convocation ceremonies. The Governor said each of the two graduates would receive ₦20 million as a personal donation from him.
The announcement was also disclosed by Jubril Gawat, the Governor’s New Media aide, who shared details of the gesture on social media.
The development immediately became one of the major highlights of the university’s combined convocation, where thousands of students were celebrated for completing their various academic programmes.
Olawale distinguished himself in Project Management Technology, graduating with First Class Honours and an impressive cumulative grade point average of 4.96.
Oluolamide, on the other hand, graduated from the Department of Aerospace Engineering with First Class Honours after recording an even higher CGPA of 4.97.
The academic performance of both graduates placed them at the top of their respective graduating cohorts and earned them the university’s overall best graduating student awards for their sessions.
According to the details released about the Governor’s gesture, the ₦20 million award is to be presented separately to each graduate, meaning the two students will collectively receive ₦40 million from Sanwo-Olu.
Speaking during the event, the Governor personally acknowledged the achievements of the two graduates and announced the amount allocated to each of them.
The gesture adds another major reward to what has already been a remarkable period for Oluolamide.
Before Sanwo-Olu’s announcement, the Aerospace Engineering graduate had received another ₦10 million cash prize through the Sunbeth Excellence Partnership Programme after emerging as LASU’s overall best graduating student for the 2025/2026 academic session.
With the Governor’s ₦20 million gift, Oluolamide’s publicly reported cash rewards connected to his outstanding academic achievement have now reached at least ₦30 million.
The recognition also highlights the increasingly competitive academic standards at LASU, where students across different disciplines continue to compete for the institution’s top graduating honours.
The combined convocation was held to honour graduates from two academic sessions, with the university reporting that more than 20,000 students would graduate across the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 sessions.
Among those graduating were 494 students who achieved First Class Honours.
The university’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, had earlier announced the names of the two overall best graduating students ahead of the convocation.
The achievements of Olawale and Oluolamide have also attracted attention because of the exceptionally high CGPAs recorded by both students.
Olawale, who earned a B.Tech (Honours) in Project Management Technology, expressed gratitude after being named the best graduating student for the 2024/2025 academic session.
He attributed his success to divine grace and described the achievement as an encouragement to pursue greater goals and make a meaningful impact.
Oluolamide similarly celebrated his performance after officially receiving confirmation of his First Class result in Aerospace Engineering.
His 4.97 CGPA out of a possible 5.00 placed him among the university’s highest-performing graduates.
The academic feat is particularly notable given the demanding nature of Aerospace Engineering, a discipline requiring strong performance across mathematics, engineering and other technical subjects.
The Governor’s decision to reward the two graduates with substantial personal donations has also placed renewed attention on the importance of celebrating academic excellence among Nigerian youths.
Beyond the financial value of the awards, the gesture sends a message of recognition to students who distinguish themselves through hard work and academic discipline.
For Olawale and Oluolamide, the reward comes at the end of years of study and represents a significant financial boost as they begin the next stage of their careers.
The announcement also reinforces the relationship between the Lagos State Government and Lagos State University, which remains one of the major higher education institutions in the State.
The convocation itself provided an opportunity for the university to celebrate graduates across different faculties while highlighting exceptional academic performances.
With more than 20,000 graduates across the two sessions, the ceremonies represented a major milestone for LASU and the graduating students.
The emergence of two overall best graduating students with CGPAs above 4.9 further provided a strong academic dimension to the celebrations.
For Olawale, the ₦20 million reward follows his achievement as the best graduating student of the 2024/2025 academic session.
For Oluolamide, the Governor’s reward adds to the recognition he has already received after topping the 2025/2026 graduating class.
Sanwo-Olu’s announcement therefore turned the convocation into more than a ceremonial celebration for the two students, giving them substantial financial rewards alongside the academic honours they had earned.
The Governor’s ₦40 million combined donation is expected to further spotlight the importance of academic excellence and encourage other students to pursue outstanding results.
The development comes as Nigerian universities continue to grapple with the need to motivate students, strengthen academic performance and provide better opportunities for young graduates entering an increasingly competitive labour market.
At LASU, the recognition of Olawale and Oluolamide provides a prominent example of the rewards that can follow exceptional academic performance.
Both graduates now leave the university with First Class degrees, national attention and substantial financial recognition from the Lagos State Governor.
The ₦20 million award to each student is therefore one of the defining moments of LASU’s 2026 combined convocation and a significant reward for two graduates whose academic performances placed them at the very top of their respective graduating sessions.