Professor Promise Mebine, the Director-General (DG/CEO) of National Mathematical Centre Abuja, and students of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State have both honoured the chief executive officer, New Horizons Nigeria Mr. Tim Akano for contributing to the growth of technology and mathematics education in Nigeria.
Prof. Mebine presented the award to Akano at the National Mathematical Centre in Kwali, Abuja recently where the New Horizons boss delivered a paper titled “The Importance of Mathematics in Solving Socio-Economic and Technological Challenges” recently.
He challenged the National Mathematical and Science Students to apply their mathematical skills in solving Nigerian problems, saying globally, mathematicians have been deeply involved in solving national problems, from the time of Egyptians who built the pyramid, and believes that mathematics is essential for solving the challenges of our time.
“We need to make sure that all students have access to high-quality mathematics education, regardless of their background, and to support the development of new mathematics curricula that are relevant to the challenges of the 21st century,” he said.
The second award presented by the Students Union President of OAU, Olayiwola Folahan, held during a ceremony at the OAU Oduduwa Hall recently, where Mr. Akano delivered a paper titled “Harnessing the Power of Technology for Positive Change.”
The event attended by students, faculty members, and representatives of various tech organizations in Nigeria, saw Akano express his appreciation for the honour of being recognized for his commitment to empowering young Nigerians with technology skills through training and mentorship programmes.
Appreciating the recognition, Akano remarked that he had received over 150 recognitions, but he cherished the award from OAU students so much as it came from his Alma Mater. He used the opportunity to donate N150 million worth of scholarships to 1,000 OAU students to get trained in robotics and drones technology.
In addition, Mr. Tim Akano instituted the Great Tech Innovators, an event with the objective of producing the next Elon Musk, Larry Page, and Mark Zuckerberg through training in technology, leadership and entrepreneurship which will hold twice a year to showcase students’ innovations and matching them with interested angel investors.
He used the opportunity to appeal to wealthy Nigerians and Africans to rally round the Great Tech Innovators project, either as online mentors or angel iinvestors’ or both. The event is expected to serve as a testament to the invaluable contributions of Akano and New Horizons to the growth of technology education in Nigeria.
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