In a landmark humanitarian gesture, New Horizons Nigeria has adopted the Federal Nigeria Society for the Blind School in Oshodi, Lagos, providing high-performance computers, ICT instructors, internet connectivity, and full scholarships for all students.
The initiative, executed under the company’s corporate social responsibility programme, aims to empower over 100 visually impaired students with 21st-century digital skills and ensure their financial independence.
The Managing Director of New Horizons Nigeria, Mr. Tim Akano, led the intervention with a three-pronged strategy: adopting the school, donating ICT infrastructure, and offering 100% scholarships for all students to learn Microsoft Office Productivity, Data Science, Web Development, and Software Development.
In a deeply personal move, Mr. Akano also adopted two visually impaired students—Olayinka and Mr. Philips Oluwole Hassan—as his children. Olayinka, who has undergone a year-long ICT training with New Horizons, has been given permanent employment and transferred to the school as an ICT teacher. She will remain on New Horizons’ lifetime payroll.
Mr. Hassan, a Vocational Training Centre instructor at the school, has been awarded an overseas scholarship to study at a university in Australia.
The scholarship, funded by the Tim Akano Foundation, includes grants and international exposure to enhance his skills and benefit the school upon his return.
New Horizons also installed internet connectivity at the school to support digital learning and ensure students are equipped for the modern economy.
Mr. Akano emphasized that the goal is to empower, not pity, the visually impaired.
“What these students need is not pity but empowerment. Disability should never be a permanent stumbling block,” he said.
He pledged to make philanthropic giving a tradition by dedicating his birthday annually to supporting the school and providing ongoing technical assistance to both staff and students.
The Principal of the school, Mrs. Kayode Ajala, expressed heartfelt gratitude to New Horizons and Mr. Akano. She praised the lifetime employment of Olayinka and prayed for the continued success of the company and its CEO.
“We are deeply grateful for this transformative gesture. It gives our students hope and a future,” she said.
This initiative reaffirms New Horizons’ commitment to inclusive education and its role as a trailblazer in ICT development. It also highlights how private sector players can make meaningful contributions to marginalized communities.
