The faith-based Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU), located in Ikeji-Arakeji, Osun State, has unveiled a generous cash-award scheme to honour outstanding graduating students. The university’s Vice-Chancellor announced that a total of ₦29 million will be distributed among this year’s best graduating student and first-class graduates — a move aimed at recognising academic excellence and encouraging high performance across disciplines.
Part of the award specifically targets female graduates: the top female graduating student is set to receive ₦5 million, drawn from an endowment fund originally established by the country’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu.
This initiative reflects JABU’s commitment to rewarding merit — signalling that hard work, dedication, and true academic accomplishment will be celebrated in concrete terms.
Who’s Benefiting — Faces Behind the Figures
- The overall best graduating student is Blessing Agboola from the Medical Laboratory Science department, who finished with an impressive CGPA of 4.93 — a benchmark of excellence many will aim to emulate.
- Among the nursing graduates, 10 out of 79 secured First Class honours, demonstrating strength in health-sciences programmes and signalling effective training in those faculties.
- The broader cohort also reported strong performance: in total, a sizable number of students attained First Class or Second Class Upper, reflecting a culture of academic discipline and high standards at JABU.
Why It Matters — Beyond the Cash Prize
Incentivising Academic Excellence
In an educational landscape where motivation can wane under economic pressures and societal distractions, offering tangible rewards re-frames academic success as a real, worthwhile achievement. For many students — especially those balancing expenses, work, and studies — a prize like this could provide both financial relief and renewed motivation to aim high.
Empowering Women — Spotlight on Female Achievement
By earmarking a substantial portion for the top female graduate, JABU (and the endowment sponsor) is sending a strong message: that female academic excellence — in whatever field — is valued and rewarded. This can encourage more women to pursue demanding courses and maintain high performance, helping close gender gaps in higher education and professional fields, especially in STEM and health-sciences.
Raising Institutional Prestige & Attraction
Consistently producing top-performing graduates and publicly rewarding them helps build the reputation of JABU as a university that not only values excellence but invests in its brightest minds. This can make the institution more attractive to prospective students, alumni, and potential sponsors — strengthening its academic brand and community standing.
Setting a Model for Private Universities
In a country where public universities often dominate attention, JABU’s move demonstrates how private institutions can meaningfully contribute to academic development. Its example could inspire other private universities to adopt similar award schemes — potentially raising academic competition and standards across the board.
What This Could Lead To — Potential Ripple Effects
- Increased student effort and healthy competition: As news spreads, more students may strive for first-class honours or top-grades, knowing there’s real recognition beyond the scroll and certificate.
- Greater female representation in high-demand courses: With clear incentive, young women may feel more encouraged to enroll in science, health, and other rigorous programmes — growing Nigeria’s pipeline of skilled female professionals.
- Improvement in curriculum delivery and institutional support: To maintain high success rates, JABU may continue to invest in quality teaching, facilities, and mentoring — benefiting all students.
- Potential expansion of scholarship and award programmes: The success of this award may encourage further endowments, scholarships, or incentive schemes — helping more students succeed regardless of background.
- Increased public and private interest in supporting higher education: As the model proves effective, more individuals or organisations might be motivated to support education via donations, grants, or partnerships.
