From Chased for School Fees to 4.97 CGPA!” — How Aerospace Graduate Samuel Adebanjo Overcame Extreme Hardship to Become LASU’s Overall Best Student

The inspiring story of Samuel Oluolamide Adebanjo, who rose from being sent home over unpaid school fees to graduating as the overall best student of Lagos State University (LASU), has captured widespread admiration across the nation.

Adebanjo, who studied Aerospace Engineering, finished with an extraordinary 4.97 Cumulative Grade Point Average out of a possible 5.00, placing first among 8,653 graduating students during the university’s combined convocation ceremonies. His academic brilliance earned him a combined ₦30 million in cash prizes, including ₦20 million from Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and ₦10 million from the Sunbeth Excellence Partnership Programme.

Reflecting on his journey, the 22-year-old scholar revealed that his success was forged through grinding financial adversity and personal sacrifice. During his junior secondary school days in Lagos, his family faced severe economic hardship, leading to his ejection from school and prompting their relocation to Sango-Ota in Ogun State.

Enrolling at Top’s Bright International School, fee challenges persisted, but he remained determined and consistently took first position in class. Moved by his unwavering dedication, the school’s proprietor cleared all his accumulated arrears, granted him a full scholarship through senior secondary school, and funded his WAEC and UTME registration fees. Several teachers also stepped in quietly to provide him with daily lunch money and free tutorial sessions.

Upon entering LASU, Adebanjo was driven by a deep desire to justify the faith of everyone who supported him. Although he earned a 4.81 GPA in his first semester, he felt unsatisfied until his sister reminded him that what matters most is the finish line rather than the starting point.

Taking the advice to heart, he focused on personal excellence, achieving a perfect 5.0 GPA the following semester. Over his five-year degree, Adebanjo secured seven perfect 5.0 semester results across 10 semesters, earning 77 ‘A’ grades and four ‘B’ grades in 81 completed courses. Along the way, he also gave back to fellow students by organizing free pre-exam tutorial classes to simplify complex engineering concepts.

Adebanjo credited his historic milestone to divine grace, unyielding discipline, and the generosity of mentors, family, and educators who stood by him during his hardest days