Babcock University in Ilishan Remo, Ogun State, graduated 3,521 students at the weekend, with 306 earning first class honors, while also honoring Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu with a Leadership and Service Award for his performance in governance.

Oluwapelumi Amosu of the university’s School of Social Sciences was named overall best graduating student with a cumulative grade point average of 4.96, receiving several awards including a 10 million naira cash prize from the Sunbeth Excellence Partnership Program.

In his commencement address, Sanwo-Olu urged graduates to embrace faith, resilience and adaptability, telling them the world rewards competence and perseverance rather than entitlement. Recalling his own graduation nearly four decades ago, he said today’s graduates enjoy unprecedented access to information and technology and urged them not to waste those advantages, sharing his own experience of failed early business ventures as evidence that setbacks can prepare people for greater success.

University President Afolarin Olutunde Ojewole said the institution’s inclusion in the 2026 Times Higher Education world university rankings, moving from unranked status the previous year into the 1501 plus band, marks a significant milestone, placing Babcock joint eleventh among Nigeria’s ranked universities. He said universities must prepare students not just for today’s realities but for challenges that have not yet emerged, given the pace of change driven by artificial intelligence and evolving labour markets.