The 29th and 30th Combined Convocation Ceremonies of Lagos State University (LASU) ended on a high note, with major commitments to student welfare, academic excellence and graduate employment.
A major highlight of the ceremony was a ₦600 million pledge by Africa’s leading industrialist, Aliko Dangote, through the Aliko Dangote Foundation, for the construction of a hostel for female students of the university.
Dangote, who was conferred with an Honorary Doctor of Business (Honoris Causa) in Entrepreneurship, Industrial and Human Capital Development, was represented at the ceremony by his daughter, Hajia Fatima Aliko Dangote.
She announced that the foundation’s ₦600 million intervention would support the construction of a girls’ hostel, describing the initiative as part of the Dangote Group’s commitment to education and human-capital development.
Hajia Fatima also disclosed that first-class graduates in Engineering and Sciences from the graduating classes would receive preferential consideration for employment with the Dangote Group after completing their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme.
The announcement provides a potential pathway into the industrial sector for some of LASU’s highest-performing graduates, particularly as the Dangote Group continues to expand its operations in Nigeria and other African countries.
According to the foundation, the Dangote Group currently employs more than 52,000 people across Nigeria and 11 other African countries, while the Dangote Academy provides practical and industry-focused training for graduates preparing to enter the industrial sector.
The Aliko Dangote Foundation also operates an education scholarship programme and has announced plans to invest $70 million annually over the next 10 years in secondary and tertiary education, teacher training, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), as well as technical and vocational education.
The Dangote intervention was complemented by a major reward for academic excellence from the Lagos State Government.
Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu donated ₦20 million each to the two best graduating students from the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 academic sessions.
Addressing the graduating students at what he described as his final convocation ceremony as Visitor to LASU, Sanwo-Olu congratulated the graduates, their parents, sponsors and lecturers, noting that the university produced a total of 20,604 graduates during the two academic sessions.
The graduates included 494 first-class students.
The Governor specifically highlighted the performances of Lawal Ayilara of the Department of Project Management, who graduated with a 4.96 cumulative grade point average (CGPA), and Samuel Oluolamide Adebanjo of the Department of Aerospace Engineering, who recorded a 4.97 CGPA.
Sanwo-Olu, however, said excellence should not be measured solely by academic grades, noting that many students overcame significant personal and financial challenges to complete their education.
He urged the graduates to combine their academic qualifications with competence, discipline, integrity and a commitment to service, stressing that their certificates should be accompanied by character and a determination to make meaningful contributions to society.
The Governor also reflected on his administration’s investment in LASU and the wider education sector, citing the construction and commissioning of the Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu Library Complex, new lecture theatres and halls, student accommodation and other infrastructure.
He said LASU’s student accommodation capacity had expanded to 8,000 beds, while more than 50 infrastructure projects had been executed through funding from the Lagos State Government, Federal Government, TETFund, private-sector partners and the university’s internally generated revenue.
Sanwo-Olu also recalled the expansion of Lagos State’s university system from one university to three, with the establishment of Lagos State University of Education and Lagos State University of Science and Technology, while another university is being proposed.
He noted that tuition for pioneer students of the new university of education had also been reduced by 65 per cent as part of efforts to improve access to tertiary education.
Reflecting on his relationship with LASU, the Governor said official titles and tenures would eventually expire, but the memories and impact of service would remain. He urged the graduating students to become good ambassadors of the university and Lagos State, stressing that their future would ultimately be determined by what they contribute to society.
The Chancellor of LASU, His Royal Majesty Oba Dr Olufolarin Olukayode Ogunsanwo, Telade IV, described the convocation as a moment of joy, humility and gratitude.
He commended Sanwo-Olu for his support for the university and his administration’s commitment to education, human-capital development, technology and infrastructure under the T.H.E.M.E.S. Plus Agenda.
The Chancellor, who also received a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) from LASU during the ceremony, said the university remained aligned with the development vision of Lagos State and would continue to serve as one of the state’s strongest engines for educational and economic development.
He urged the new PhD and professional doctorate graduates to see their qualifications as a transition from consumers of knowledge to creators of solutions.
Ogunsanwo cited LASU’s emergence as the sole South-West beneficiary of the ₦3 billion TETFund grant for a Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Cyber Sciences as evidence of the university’s growing relevance to emerging technologies.
He challenged the new scholars to deploy their expertise to solving the complex economic, social and technological challenges confronting Lagos State and Nigeria.
The Chancellor also explained that the honorary doctorates awarded to Akin Kekere-Ekun, Harriet-Ann Omobolanle (Bola) Adesola and Aliko Dangote were in recognition of their contributions to leadership, innovation, education, business and societal development.
Kekere-Ekun was recognised for his contributions to public service and educational development, while Adesola was honoured for her corporate leadership and advocacy for women in management, business and public service.
Dangote was recognised for his contributions to industry, commerce, education, philanthropy and human-capital development across Nigeria and Africa.
The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Babatunde Ogala, SAN, OFR, said LASU had continued to strengthen its position among Nigerian universities through research, partnerships and innovation.
He disclosed that the university was exploring opportunities arising from Lagos State’s position as a maritime and aviation hub and had entered into a strategic partnership with the University of Illinois in Chicago involving students, lecturers and research institutions.
Ogala congratulated the academic and professional doctorate graduates, describing their achievements as products of rigorous study, research, intellectual inquiry, discipline and perseverance.
Receiving his honorary Doctor of Business degree in Entrepreneurship, Finance and Management, Kekere-Ekun urged the graduating students to combine academic qualifications with integrity, discipline and personal responsibility.
He advised them to abandon the culture of “African time” and embrace punctuality as an important component of professional conduct.
Kekere-Ekun also urged the graduates to uphold integrity, competence, respect for the law and responsibility as they begin their professional careers.
For LASU Vice-Chancellor, Distinguished Professor Ibiyemi Ibilola Olatunji-Bello, mni, NPOM, the ceremony marked the end of her five-year tenure as Vice-Chancellor.
In her final convocation address, Olatunji-Bello described LASU as a university of “proven excellence”, noting that it had become Nigeria’s most subscribed university and had gained increased recognition within Africa’s higher education community.
She highlighted improvements in academic accreditation, research and innovation, digital transformation, infrastructure, financial sustainability, staff and student welfare, and the university’s global visibility during her tenure.
According to her, LASU secured full accreditation for 31 of the 37 programmes presented during its first accreditation exercise under her administration, while all professional programmes presented achieved full accreditation.
She also highlighted the expansion of student accommodation to 8,000 beds, construction of major facilities, employment opportunities for hundreds of qualified staff, scholarships worth tens of millions of naira and an increase in internally generated revenue.
Olatunji-Bello said the university’s internally generated revenue increased from ₦3 billion in September 2021 to ₦13 billion by September 2025.
She thanked Governor Sanwo-Olu for entrusting her with the leadership of LASU and supporting her administration’s development plans.
She also acknowledged the Governing Council, Senate, management, staff, students and unions for their cooperation, particularly in sustaining industrial peace and enabling the university to hold five uninterrupted convocation ceremonies during her tenure.
She described her five years as Vice-Chancellor as the most demanding, fulfilling and humbling period of her professional career.
Adesola, who received a Doctor of Business (Honoris Causa) in Corporate Finance and Governance, used her acceptance speech to highlight the importance of women’s empowerment and sustainable institutions.
She said communities thrive when women are given opportunities to participate and lead, while stressing the need for Nigeria to invest consistently in human-capital development.
The combined 29th and 30th LASU Convocation Ceremonies produced 20,604 graduates across Diploma, First Degree and Higher Degree categories for the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 academic sessions.
The ceremonies also featured the conferment of a doctorate degree on the university’s Chancellor, Oba Olufolarin Ogunsanwo, and the elevation of Olatunji-Bello and Professor Rafiu Olaoluwa Okuneye to the rank of Distinguished Professor.
For the first time in LASU’s history, the Epe Campus also hosted a convocation ceremony, with graduates from Engineering and Agricultural Sciences participating in the event.
With Dangote’s ₦600 million girls’ hostel pledge and employment commitment, the Governor’s financial rewards for outstanding graduates, and the university’s reported progress in infrastructure, accreditation, research and student welfare, the convocation marked a significant milestone in LASU’s continuing development.