The annual end-of-year meeting of the Nigerian Information Technology Reporters’ Association (NITRA), held on Thursday, December 18, 2025, 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’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Tim Akano.
The meeting was hosted at a New Horizons training facility after the association searched for a suitable venue. The breakthrough came when NITRA’s Secretary, Chidiebere Nwankwo, contacted Mr. Akano, who readily offered one of the company’s training centres free of charge—a gesture participants described as consistent with his 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, ICT reporters were among the first groups to benefit from the company’s world-class training programmes when New Horizons commenced operations about 20 years ago.
Mr. Akano, who attended the meeting to personally interact with members of the IT media, acknowledged the critical role journalists played in supporting his vision during the company’s formative years. In appreciation, he reaffirmed his commitment to continue providing free IT skills training for members of the media to help them remain competitive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Recounting the company’s growth, Akano said New Horizons, which began with just a handful of staff, has grown into one of Africa’s leading ICT 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, the meeting also highlighted Akano’s record of giving back—especially to the media community that supported his entrepreneurial journey. Publisher and veteran IT journalist, Aaron Ukodie, recounted how Akano assisted one of his daughters, an Accounting graduate of the University of Johannesburg, South Africa, by offering her a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) placement at New Horizons, alongside a scholarship for IT skills training.
Similarly, Mr. Yemi Adeyemi of The Guardian shared how his editor once sought mandatory IT training for a child. After several ICT firms declined the request, Adeyemi approached Akano, who promptly agreed to accommodate the child at New Horizons.
Participants at the meeting described these gestures as clear evidence of Akano’s commitment to human capital development and his deep appreciation of the media’s role in documenting and supporting the growth of New Horizons over the past two decades.
