Olaniyi Mubarak, the Best-Graduating Student (BGS) of the Lagos State University (LASU) 2022/2023, has been awarded a N10 million cash prize by the Lagos State Government.
Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos who announced the rewards at the 27th convocation ceremony of the university rewarded the student for finishing with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.98 on a scale of 5.0.
He said it was to encourage the 22-year-old student, who finished from the Department of Accounting Education in the Faculty of Education.
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“Graduating with a CGPA of 4.98 is not a small feat, so I congratulate Olaniyi. This is a moment of great joy, not just for you but for all of us. To celebrate and to honour you, I announce a token of N10 million,” he said.
While delivering the valedictory speech, Olaniyi, the BGS described how he achieved this feat despite his humble background.
“It is with great humility that I address you today as the son of a wood seller, and a late mother, who defied expectations to emerge from a faculty wrongly tagged as an asylum for students with low intellectual quotient or students gifted with courses different from their desires.”
“Without mincing words, I state categorically that I am neither a low IQ student nor given the course different from my desire. I chose Accounting Education,” he said.
At the convocation press conference, Ibiyemi Olatunji Bello, the Vice Chancellor of LASU, said 153 students graduated with first-class degrees, while 3,029 students graduated with second-class upper-division degrees.
Also, 715 students graduated with second-class lower division, 228 graduated with a pass and 195 graduated with non-classified degrees out of 8,670 students graduating from the first-degree programmes in the university, at the 27th convocation ceremony.
“I am happy to announce that Olaniyi Mubaraq Olawale of Accounting Education with a CGPA of 4.98 (First Class Honours) is our best-graduating student for 2022/2023, while for Masters, Olaitan Aminat Damilola with a CGPA of 4.78 (Educational Management) is the best-graduating student for 2022/2023 in this year’s ceremony,” she said.
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Apart from the 89 doctorate awardees, LASU also conferred honorary degrees on four Nigerians for their invaluable contributions to the development of our University and the nation at large.
She said that the awardees are Martins Anetekhai who was honoured as an Emeritus Professor, and Amidu Sanni, honoured as a Distinguished Professor.
Prince Tajudeen Olusi received an Honorary Doctor of Literature (History, Education and Community Development), Honoris Causa, and Prince Samuel Adedoyin was given an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (Commerce, Industry and National Development) Honoris Causa.