The Chief Executive Officer, New Horizons, Mr. Tim Akano, has lauded the important roles the Information Communication Technology (ICT) media has been playing in influencing the direction of developments in the sector by setting agenda for policy makers.
He spoke during the annual end-of-year meeting of the Nigerian Information Technology Reporters’ Association (NITRA), held on Thursday, December 18, 2025, a forum which Mr Akano gladly hosted.
The meeting however ended on a reflective note as members revisited the entrepreneurial journey of New Horizons and the enduring mutual support between IT reporters and the company.
The event was hosted at a New Horizons training facility, following a search for a suitable venue by the association. When Mr. Akano was contacted, he swiftly offered one of the company’s training centres free of charge. This gesture, participants noted, was consistent with the digital entrepreneur’s long-standing support for the association.
Over the years, New Horizons has not only hosted several NITRA meetings but has also trained many IT journalists in core technology skills. Notably, IT reporters were among the first groups to benefit from the world-class training programmes introduced by New Horizons about 20 years ago.
Mr. Akano, who attended the meeting to personally greet members of the IT media, used the opportunity to acknowledge the critical role journalists played in supporting his vision during the company’s early years. In appreciation, he pledged to continue providing free IT skills training for members of the media.
Recounting the company’s growth, Akano said New Horizons, which began operations two decades ago with just a handful of staff, has grown into one of Africa’s foremost IT skills training organisations. Today, the company employs about 500 staff across multiple training centres nationwide.
According to him, New Horizons has trained over 500,000 youths, particularly students in tertiary institutions across Nigeria. He added that the company has entered into several partnerships with universities to equip students with practical IT skills, with the most recent agreement signed with Afe Babalola University.
Beyond business success, Akano’s story has also been one of giving back—especially to the media community that supported his entrepreneurial journey. Two notable instances were recalled at the meeting.
Publisher and veteran IT journalist, Aaron Ukodie, described how Akano assisted one of his daughters, a graduate of Accounting from the University of Johannesburg, South Africa, by offering her placement for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme at New Horizons, alongside a scholarship for IT skills training.
Lucas Ajanaku, ICT Editor of The Nation newspaper also recalled approaching Mr Akano a few years ago for the training of his son at New Horizons and how the request was granted with the speed of light and a discount was given for the tuition. Aside that, the boy was never thrown out of the class because of funding.
Similarly, Mr. Yemi Adepetun of The Guardian recounted how his editor sought IT training opportunities for a child. After several ICT firms turned down his request, Adepetun approached Akano, who promptly agreed to accommodate the child for the mandatory IT training programme.
Participants described these gestures as clear examples of Akano’s commitment to human capital development and his enduring appreciation of the media’s role in the growth of New Horizons.
