Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu awarded N20 million cash gifts to the best graduating students of Lagos State University this week [1].
The awards aim to incentivize academic excellence and encourage new graduates to serve as ambassadors for Lagos State [4].
The presentation took place during the university's convocation ceremony held in August 2026 [3]. While some reports indicated a N10 million award, multiple sources confirm the amount was N20 million per student [1, 2, 3].
A total of 20,604 students graduated during the event [4]. This cohort represents students from the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 academic sessions [4].
Some reports specify that two students received the N20 million gifts [5], while other sources refer to the best graduating students in general [1, 2].
The governor said the gesture was intended to recognize the hard work of the students. He said the graduates should utilize their education to contribute to the development of the state and the nation [4, 5].
Lagos State University has seen a significant increase in its graduating class size. The current total of 20,604 graduates [4] marks a substantial milestone for the institution's capacity and output of skilled professionals into the Nigerian workforce.
“Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu awarded N20 million cash gifts to the best graduating students”
The substantial increase in the cash award—which some sources suggest was doubled from a previous N10 million—reflects a strategic effort by the Lagos State government to tie higher education outcomes to financial rewards. By targeting the top performers in a record-breaking cohort of more than 20,000 students, the administration is attempting to signal a high value for meritocracy within the state's public university system.
