Nigerians should not be the focus of world attention only when the story is about crime, poverty, squalor or disease. They should not be the object of world pity either, only when they get hacked down by some ‘kid-murderers’ abroad. Where no one is willing to do it for us, we have to learn to celebrate our own whenever they make us proud. This was the point that Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State made when he was presented the gold medal won by Henry Akahara, an SS3 student of Government Senior College, Surulere, Lagos.

Indeed, we should celebrate Henry. For being diligent at his work, Master Akahara has not only stood before dignitaries at home, he has also won honour and fame for himself; he did Lagos State proud in far-away London. Henry was invited to the United Kingdom House of Commons after emerging the overall winner of the Dreams and Teams Programme, a British Council initiative aimed at inculcating leadership qualities in students, through sports. There, he was presented with an impromptu essay topic on ‘Modern Day Slavery’, which he debated with 200 other students from 60 countries. He won the gold medal in the competition and his college’s blazer now adorns the House of Commons as a memorial.

But that should only be the beginning of the celebration. We have to appreciate the endowments in ourselves and place appropriate values on abilities. As many times as occasions permit, we must roll out the drums, dance and make merry at every exemplary demonstration of the innate Nigerian genius. This is the only way we can encourage talents and continue to churn out such brilliant performances, whether at home or abroad.

With many people joining in the success train, Master Akahara’s achievement has further confirmed the saying that success has many fathers, whereas failure is an orphan. It is not just his biological parents alone that are savouring the success. The principal of his college, Mrs. Betty Folawiyo, director of the British Council in Lagos, Ms. Sam Harvey and a representative of the Government College Old boys Association, Dr. Anthony Anyameluwa, who led the delegation that presented the gold medal to Governor Fashola, all could not but confess that they felt proud by the honour that Henry had done us all.

Apart from Henry’s parents, Governor Fashola is perhaps the happiest of the well-wishers. Henry is a product of one of the public schools in Lagos State. What this has shown therefore, is that, in spite of their imperfections, something good can still come out of the ‘Nazareth’ that many think the state’s public schools have become.

Not long ago, the state won the International Junior Olympics. Once again, the point is being made that performance is not determined necessarily by whether one attends an expensive private school or a public school. Indeed, some of the famous schools of old are only living on their past glory.

However, this is not to suggest that the Lagos State Government should relent in its efforts to improve on the facilities in its schools. That there has been a string of successes by students of public schools in the state, in spite of the inadequacies, only point to even greater possibilities when all that needed to be done is done for the public schools.

Governor Fashola’s gift of a laptop computer set as well as automatic scholarship to Henry, up to the university level, is commendable. It will encourage other students to always put in their best in whatever they do.