David Akanmu, the 2024 best-graduating student of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), has been selected as a 2024 Knight-Hennessy Scholar, Stanford University announced on Tuesday.

Akanmu’s selection as one of the five Africans, and the only one from an African-based tertiary institution, to join the 2024 cohort marks a significant achievement. The announcement highlighted UNILAG as the only African university among the 60 institutions worldwide from which the 90 new scholars emerged.

The Knight-Hennessy Scholars program, a prestigious multidisciplinary and multicultural graduate fellowship, provides up to three years of financial support for scholars to pursue graduate studies at Stanford University. The program aims to cultivate visionary, courageous, and collaborative leaders capable of addressing complex global challenges.

John L. Hennessy, the Shriram Family Director of Knight-Hennessy Scholars and Stanford University president emeritus, expressed optimism about the future with each new cohort of scholars. He emphasized the growing complexity of global challenges, affirming the importance of the program’s mission.

Akanmu, the third UNILAG graduate to receive the Knight-Hennessy Scholar Award, achieved a perfect Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 5.0 in Civil Engineering during the UNILAG Convocation Ceremonies in January 2024. He will pursue a Ph.D. in Energy Science and Engineering at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability.

UNILAG, in a post on its official X handle, congratulated Akanmu on his remarkable achievement. Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, the Vice-Chancellor, extended felicitations to Akanmu on behalf of the University Senate and community.

Akanmu’s selection underscores UNILAG’s commitment to academic excellence and its ability to produce globally competitive scholars capable of making significant contributions to various fields of study.