The government of Lagos state in Nigeria has awarded a scholarship to a student who emerged the overall best in a world debate on the effects of modern-day slavery in Nigeria. The student, Henry Akahara, of Government Senior College in Surulere represented the state at a recent debate in London, which featured 200 students from 60 countries. State Governor Babatunde Fashola, who announced the scholarship, said it would run to the university level. Paying tribute to the student in Lagos Monday, the Governor said ”We do not appreciate our endowments as we should or place appropriate value on our abilities. For some strange reasons, we prefer to advertise the negative things about ourselves.” The student’s victory is being celebrated as a sign that public schools in the state still harbour some good students, especially as more and more parents and guardians have resorted to sending their children and wards to the growing number of expensive private schools in the state. The debate over the growing preference for private schools became intense recently when the state government embarked on the closure of some private schools which it deemed sub-standard. Panapress
