Success (you’re not alone)

This photograph is a moment of raw, shared vulnerability captured on a Nigerian university campus, a place that is often a crucible of immense pressure and ambition. The image centers on my friend, Success, standing beneath a magnificent Flamboyant tree,its fiery red blossoms a vivid contrast to the anxieties swirling beneath its branches. On this particular day, Success spoke to me about a fear that resonates with so many young Nigerians,the crushing weight of time passing, the feeling of being behind his peers, the dread of not doing enough. In a country where the narrative of WASTED POTENTIAL is a tragically common burden, his fear was palpable. He saw himself as another statistic, another light dimming before its time. But this photograph is also my response to that fear. As I captured this moment, I was telling him, and telling myself, that he is not alone. I am with him. There is so much for us both to achieve. We are still so young.

Uploaded on 24 October 2025.