The Aliko Dangote Foundation has pledged ₦600 million for the construction of a female hostel at Lagos State University (LASU) and offered preferential employment to first-class graduates in Engineering and Sciences after their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme. The announcements were made during LASU’s combined 29th and 30th Convocation Ceremonies for the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 academic sessions.
Dangote’s Pledges and Honorary Doctorate
Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, was represented at the ceremony by his daughter, Hajia Fatima Aliko Dangote. He was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Business Honoris Causa in Entrepreneurship, Industrial and Human Capital Development. The university management confirmed that the ₦600 million commitment from the Aliko Dangote Foundation will support the construction of accommodation for female students, addressing part of the housing challenges faced by students.
LASU also revealed that first-class graduates in Engineering and Sciences from the two graduating sessions will get preferential consideration for employment with Dangote Group after completing their NYSC programme. The university said, “First-class graduates in Engineering and Sciences from the graduating class would receive preferential consideration for employment with the Dangote Group after completing their National Youth Service Corps programme.”
Graduation Figures and Top Achievers
LASU celebrated 20,604 graduates from the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 academic sessions, including 494 students who earned First Class honours. For the 2024/2025 session, Ayilara Lawal Olawale from the Department of Project Management emerged as the overall best graduating student with a CGPA of 4.96. In the 2025/2026 session, Adebanjo Samuel Oluolamide from the Department of Aerospace Engineering took the top spot with a CGPA of 4.97. Both students graduated with First Class honours.
LASU Vice-Chancellor, Prof Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, disclosed that 262 students achieved First Class honours in the 2024/2025 academic session, while 232 students recorded the same feat in the 2025/2026 session.
Governor Sanwo-Olu’s Rewards and Infrastructure
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu also rewarded the two overall best graduating students with ₦20 million each during the convocation ceremony. The governor, in his final convocation address as LASU’s Visitor, congratulated the graduates, their families, sponsors and lecturers while highlighting infrastructure projects completed under his administration, including the Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu Library Complex, lecture theatres, halls and student accommodation.
The university said more than 50 infrastructure projects have been completed through support from the Lagos State Government, Federal Government, TETFund, private-sector partners and internally generated revenue.
Broader Impact and Other Honorees
The move is expected to give some of LASU’s top-performing students a smoother transition from university life into the workforce, especially at a time when many young Nigerians struggle to find jobs after graduation. The Dangote Group currently employs over 52,000 people across Nigeria and 11 other African countries. The company also runs the Dangote Academy, which provides practical training for graduates looking to build careers in the industrial sector.
Beyond LASU, the Aliko Dangote Foundation has also invested in education through scholarship programmes and announced plans to spend $70 million annually over the next 10 years on areas including secondary and tertiary education, teacher training, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), and technical and vocational education.
Dangote was among three Nigerians honoured with honorary doctorate degrees during the ceremony. Others recognised were Akin Kekere-Ekun, OFR, and Harriet-Ann Omobola (Bola) Adesola for their contributions to leadership, business and societal development. The LASU Chancellor, Oba Dr Olufolarin Olukayode Ogunsanwo, Telade IV, described the convocation as a moment of “joy, humility and gratitude,” while appreciating the Lagos State Government for its continued support for education and human capital development.
