Meet the two Nigerian Law School graduates who just bagged ₦5m each from Kwara governor

• Kwara Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq gifted Nigeria's top two 2026 Law School graduates ₦5 million each.

• The beneficiaries are Israel Adekunle Adeniyi (overall best) and Oluwatomisin Promise Daniel (second best).

• The governor also pledged to sponsor their Master's degrees at Ivy League universities once they secure admission.

• He said their success proves that education and hard work still pay, dismissing the popular "school is a scam" narrative.

Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has rewarded two outstanding indigenes of the state who emerged as the overall best and second-best graduating students at the 2026 Nigerian Law School with ₦5 million each.

The governor also promised to fully sponsor their postgraduate education abroad once they secure admission into their preferred universities.

The two brilliant graduates, Israel Adekunle Adeniyi from Offa and Oluwatomisin Promise Daniel from Idofin Igbana in Oke Ero Local Government Area, were honoured during a reception held in Ilorin after their impressive performance at the Nigerian Law School graduation ceremony in Abuja.

Israel finished as the overall best graduating student in the country, while Oluwatomisin came second overall. Interestingly, both scholars studied Law at the University of Ilorin before proceeding to the Nigerian Law School.

Sharing details of the meeting on his Facebook page on Wednesday, Governor AbdulRazaq said he invited the young lawyers to personally celebrate their achievements and encourage other students across the state to aim higher.

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He wrote: “Yesterday in Ilorin, I hosted two academic wonders; Israel Adekunle Adeniyi and Oluwatomisin Promise Daniel, who recently won our state new laurels at the 2026 Nigerian Law School Graduation in Abuja.

“Israel, from Offa, was the overall best graduating student at the ceremony, while Oluwatomisin, an indigene of Idofin Igbana in Oke Ero, was the second-best graduating student for the same year. Both legal scholars graduated from the University of Ilorin, Kwara State.”

The governor explained that the cash reward was his way of recognising excellence and motivating other young people to remain committed to their studies despite the challenges facing the country.

“I felt it was necessary to personally honour their hard work, commitment, and brilliance to motivate others to also do well and make their families and our state proud,” he said.

Beyond the ₦5 million cash gift given to each graduate, AbdulRazaq revealed that both scholars have plans to pursue Master's degrees at Ivy League institutions in the United States, a dream he has now pledged to support financially.

“In addition to the cash gifts of ₦5 million apiece, I was fascinated by their plans of going for their Master’s degrees at some Ivy League institutions across the Atlantic, and I accordingly pledged to fund this academic endeavour once they secure their admission," he said.

“This is our token of appreciation for their hard work and dedication. We care for excellence and hard work in any field.”

The governor also used the opportunity to push back against the growing belief among many young Nigerians that education no longer guarantees success.

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According to him, the achievements of the two young lawyers prove that hard work and academic excellence still open doors.

“In what gives a lie to the ‘school is a scam’ refrain these days, Israel and Oluwatomisin are already doing very well after school as young legal scholars, and I wish them all the best that life has to offer.”

He congratulated both graduates once again and wished them successful careers in the legal profession.

The recognition comes at a time when many state governments are introducing incentives to encourage academic excellence, especially among young Nigerians pursuing professional careers.