The Chief Executive Officer of New Horizons Nigeria, Mr. Tim Akano, was on Friday named by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) as its 2022 Man of the Year.
Speaking through its President, Comrade. Usman Umar Barambu, NANS said the award is in recognition of Uncle Tim’s leadership acumen, passionate professional capabilities, fervent and productive contribution to the societal development of the nation, and support for humanity.
He recalled that through Akano, many youths from Universities, Polytechnics, and Colleges of Education have enjoyed numerous scholarships, internships, job placements, mentorship, and skills acquisition in the last 20 years across Nigeria and Africa.
The deputy senate president, NANS, Ekundina Elvis, while presenting the award said the leadership of the association is happy with all the support Uncle Tim has been rendering to Nigerian students and youths.
“We appreciate a man who has thought it expedient to build a nation, a man who has always been at the forefront of building leaders of today and leaders of tomorrow. We believe history will never forget a man who turned a village into a city, and history will still never forget a man who turned a city into a village.
“Like Oliver Twist, we will always ask for more,” Elvis said, adding that “what we want to ask from you is that you should not relent in doing the good works you have been doing, and we believe this is the starting point.”
In his comment at the occasion, the NANS public relations officer, Giwa Temitope, also showered praises on Akano saying, “Uncle Tim is the tested and trusted leader and mentor of all the Nigerian students and youths.”
He recounted many scholarships and assistance Mr. Akano has been rendering to the youths all over Nigeria and Africa through New Horizons and One Africa Initiatives Academy.
Giwa concluded that this recognition given to Akano was to encourage him to do more for the youths, especially in these trying times.
In his response, the CEO of New Horizons Nigeria, Mr. Tim Akano, said “I want to show my deep and sincere appreciation to the association because this is the first of its kind in Nigeria as NANS Man of the Year, even though I have received so many awards.
“I want you to know how much I truly and deeply value this particular one from NANS.”
It could be recalled that in the last two years, close to 150 youths organisations have bestowed honours on Mr. Tim Akano for his unparalleled commitment to the success and progress of the youths across Africa.
“The day I understood that the reason God created me and saw me through life’s many challenges and spared my life, was to reproduce myself in millions of youths across the continent, was my happiest day in life.
“To me, it is beyond a mission, it is a commission. It is for this purpose and assignment I was born, and it is for this commission I am living for.”
Today, “African youths see me as their next of kin in virtually all situations. Thousands of Nigerian and African students are currently under mentoring through the NGO founded by Mr. Tim called One Africa Initiatives Academy (OAIA).
“I believe that supporting youth through education is the best investment I can make in their lives because when they are educated and acquire necessary life skills, a lot of things can change for the better.”
Akano took advantage of the opportunity to encourage the elderly to support today’s youth in any way they can.
“We must recognise that we cannot always be able to do everything by ourselves forever, and our relevance tomorrow is dependent on how many young ones we can bring up to stand stronger than us.
“All the lessons I have learned, the mistakes I have made, I am sharing everything with the youths because our time on earth is limited and I do not want them to repeat those mistakes I made.
“I am committed to ensuring that what took me 40 years to accomplish, our youths should be able to get it done within 25 years. They should move at a faster speed than myself and that is why you see me surrounding myself with the youths.
“Today I spend close to 70% of my disposable time on mentoring the youths across Africa. This week alone, I sponsored a Youth Event program in Uganda that brought together the Youths of that country and I have never been to Uganda.
“But I believe in “One Africa” and I am the Chief Promoter of that ideal that the youths in Africa must unite and come together for the total transformation of the mother continent.
“And the results are all over the places, some of the youths I have mentored are now the ones making waves in Silicon Valley, the USA, the UK, Canada, and Nigeria.
“The entire 360 degrees leadership of Students Associations in Universities, Polytechnics, Colleges of Education, etc consist of the youths under mentorship. And the feeling and the joy that come with it have no parallel.
The way the youths reciprocate in getting virtually everything fixed for me personally worldwide without leaving the comfort of my home or office is incredibly ecstatic.
“Today, there is hardly any country in the world where I don’t have at least one youth I have helped doing great and who in turn, is ready to pick my call at the first ring and run around for me. That, to me, is the true meaning of success, happiness, and immortality.”
