Lagos State University, LASU is set to graduate a total of 20,604 students at its 29th and 30th Combined Convocation Ceremonies for the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 academic sessions.
The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, announced the figure at a press conference on Wednesday ahead of the week-long convocation ceremonies.
According to her, the graduating students comprise diploma, first degree and postgraduate students across the two academic sessions.
For the 2024/2025 academic session, 947 students graduated from diploma programmes, comprising 65 with Distinction, 521 with Upper Credit, 354 with Lower Credit and seven with Pass.
A total of 7,621 students graduated from the first degree programmes during the session, with 262 obtaining First Class honours, 3,155 Second Class Upper Division, 3,439 Second Class Lower Division, 622 Third Class and 37 Pass degrees.
The Vice-Chancellor announced Ayilara Lawal Olawale of the Department of Project Management, with a CGPA of 4.96, as the overall best graduating student for the 2024/2025 academic session.
For the 2025/2026 academic session, 44 students graduated from diploma programmes, comprising 33 Upper Credit and 11 Lower Credit.
A total of 8,653 students graduated from first degree programmes, with 232 obtaining First Class honours, 3,545 Second Class Upper Division, 4,157 Second Class Lower Division, 678 Third Class and 31 Pass degrees.
Adebanjo Samuel Oluolamide of the Department of Aerospace Engineering, with a CGPA of 4.97, emerged as the overall best graduating student for the 2025/2026 academic session.
The University will also confer higher degrees on 3,383 postgraduate graduands across the two academic sessions. The figure comprises 618 Postgraduate Diplomas, 1,508 Academic Master’s degrees, 900 Professional Master’s degrees, 238 Doctor of Philosophy degrees and 119 Professional Doctoral degrees.
The convocation ceremonies will also feature the conferment of honorary doctorate degrees on prominent Nigerians, including Akin Kekere-Ekun, Harriet-Ann Omobola (Bola) Adesola and Alhaji Aliko Dangote.
The university will confer the Doctor of Business Honoris Causa on Kekere-Ekun for contributions to entrepreneurship, finance and management; Adesola for corporate finance and governance; and Dangote for entrepreneurship, industrial and human capital development.
Two professors, Rafiu Olaoluwa Okuneye and Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, will also be elevated to the rank of Distinguished Professor in recognition of their contributions to teaching, research, mentorship and advancement of knowledge.
The convocation programme will begin with pre-convocation activities, including the Staff Sports Competition and the first-ever Staff Celebration Day, scheduled for Thursday, August 13.
The formal convocation activities will commence on Friday, August 14, with the Coconut Breaking and Cultural Day, followed by the Convocation Jumat Service.
On Monday, August 17, diplomas, first degrees, postgraduate diplomas and master’s degrees in Engineering and Agricultural Sciences will be conferred at the Epe Campus.
The Convocation Lecture, titled “From LASU to the World: Harnessing the Nigerian Diaspora as the 7th Region for National Development,” will hold on Tuesday, August 18. The lecture will be delivered by the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa.
The university will on Wednesday, August 19, confer Professional and Academic Doctorate degrees, as well as honorary doctorate degrees.
The ceremonies will formally conclude on Sunday, August 23, with a Special Convocation Thanksgiving Service at the University Chapel, Chapel of Light, Ojo Campus.