In a significant boost to education and youth empowerment in Osun State, the Tim Akano Foundation (TAF) has awarded scholarships and digital skill development opportunities to 122 students from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) and communities within the Ayedire Local Government Area.
The awards were presented in June 2025 during a ceremony held at Aipate Baptist Church, Iwo, underscoring TAF’s continued commitment to education, grassroots development, and giving back to underserved communities.
Of the beneficiaries, 22 undergraduates with first-class and second-class upper grades from Oluponna, Iwo, Ile Ogbo, Kuta, and Telemu communities received full scholarships, while another 100 students were offered access to digital skills training through New Horizons Technologies, Africa’s leading ICT training firm, headed by TAF founder, Tim Akano.
Akano, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of New Horizons Technologies, shared a deeply personal motivation behind his philanthropy. He recalled how the Oluponna community’s collective effort in 1976—where men donated N10 and women N5 to establish Oluponna Community High School—paved the way for his own education.
“If not for that collective sacrifice, I would have ended up as a trader, hunter or tailor,” Akano said. “That school gave me access to quality education. I am a product of God and people’s generosity. And I believe that when people are properly educated, beyond the sky is their limit.”
In recognition of his lifelong investment in his community, Akano was presented with an Award of Excellence as Community Role Model by the Federation of Ayedire Student Union—a student body comprising individuals from the five benefiting towns.
TAF’s impact in Osun is longstanding. In 2024, the foundation adopted Baptist Day School, Oluponna, Akano’s alma mater, providing 300 pupils with uniforms, exercise books, boreholes, modern toilets, and perimeter fencing to create a safe and dignified learning environment.
Further solidifying his legacy of giving, Akano donated his entire May 2025 salary to charitable causes within his community. Part of the funds will support the construction of a JAMB CBT Centre at Aipate Baptist Church—Iwo’s first—enabling students to sit for their entrance examinations locally, rather than enduring long, often unsafe journeys to distant cities like Ibadan.
“The goal is to remove barriers. Education must not be a privilege, it must be a right accessible to every child, regardless of geography or background,” he said.
The Tim Akano Foundation continues to stand as a model for socially responsible leadership in Nigeria. With a focus on education, digital empowerment, and infrastructure, the foundation is helping shape the future of a new generation of leaders from rural communities.
As the digital economy continues to grow, Akano believes investing in youth—particularly through technology and education—is the most sustainable way to transform Nigeria’s socio-economic landscape from the grassroots up.