LASU Student Wins ₦50m National Grant for Housing Innovation

Lagos State University (LASU) has recorded another major milestone as one of its engineering students secured a ₦50 million Student Venture Capital Grant, reinforcing the institution’s growing reputation for innovation and academic excellence.

The Vice-Chancellor, Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, received the award recipient, Taiwo Goodness Ukwedje, a 300-level student of Electronic and Computer Engineering, alongside a delegation from the Epe Campus at the Babatunde Raji Fashola Senate Building, Ojo campus.

Ukwedje’s success follows a similar achievement by a student of Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM), who recently emerged a national recipient of the same ₦50 million grant after competing with over 30,000 applicants. The back-to-back wins underscore LASU’s position as a hub for enterprise-driven education and real-world problem solving.

Presenting the student, the Head of Campus, Elkanah Oyetunji, described the feat as a reflection of resilience, creativity, and the strong academic culture of the Epe Campus, noting that the recognition enhances the university’s national visibility.

Also speaking, the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, K.F.K. Oyedeko, highlighted the competitiveness of the grant, describing the ₦50 million award as a rare distinction achieved among tens of thousands of applicants nationwide.

In his remarks, Ukwedje introduced his award-winning innovation, D-Rentals, a verified housing platform aimed at eliminating accommodation fraud targeting students. According to him, the solution will connect users directly with verified housing options through a secure and transparent system and is expected to launch in the next academic session.

Responding, Olatunji-Bello congratulated the student, describing the achievement as a “landmark accomplishment” that reflects world-class potential. She noted that the successive grant wins reaffirm LASU’s commitment to fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and excellence, while encouraging the student to make strategic use of the funds.

Other members of the delegation included Gabriel O. Shonaike, A.I. Yussuff, O.P. Akinyemi, Nurudeen A. Raji, Dr L. Salami, and Mr S.T. Whesu.

The event concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Mr Samuel Otesanya, Senior Deputy Registrar, representing the University Registrar.