General News
NANS Names Tim Akano, CEO Of New Horizons, 2022 Man Of The Year
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), over the weekend, named the Chief Executive Officer of New Horizons Nigeria, Mr. Tim Akano, as the association’s 2022 Man of the Year.
According to NANS President, Com. Usman Umar Barambu, 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.
Through Uncle Tim, many youths from universities, Polytechnic, and Colleges of Education have enjoyed numerous scholarships, internship, job placement, 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.
He said, “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 Uncle Tim has been rendering to the Youths all over Nigeria and Africa through New Horizons and One Africa Initiatives Academy. Giwa concluded that this recognition giving to Uncle Tim was to encourage him to do more for the Youths most especially in these trying times”
The CEO of New Horizons Nigeria, Mr. Tim Akano, responded to the award by saying, “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 an honour on uncle Tim 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 situation.” Thousands of Nigerian and African students are currently under mentoring through the NGO founded by uncle 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’s 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 in 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 total transformation of 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, USA, UK, Canada and Nigeria.
“The entire 360 degrees leadership of Students Associations in Universities, Polytechnic, Colleges of Education, etc consists of the Youths under mentorship.
“And the feeling and the joy that come with it has 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.”
Cellulant, a leading Pan-African payments company enabling seamless digital transactions across Africa, has appointed Mr. Freddie Oduro as its new Country Manager for Ghana.
Mr. Freddie Oduro, New Country Manager for Ghana.
Freddie’s appointment is a key step in Cellulant’s broader strategy to deepen its presence in priority markets by accelerating the acquisition of in-country enterprise businesses and strengthening its position as the payments partner of choice in Africa.
Freddie brings over a decade of commercial and strategic leadership experience in the telecommunications and financial services sectors, with expertise in sales, business operations, and market expansion.
In his new role, he will drive merchant acquisition, strengthening partnerships, oversee collections and payout operations, while ensuring strong internal controls and regulatory compliance.
He joins Cellulant from Payaza and previously served as Sales Director at Cellulant, where he helped significantly expand the company’s footprint in Ghana.
Cellulant has been powering payments in Ghana for leading brands in sectors like e-commerce, utilities, oil and gas and retail, helping them offer their customers a wide range of secure digital payment options.
“We are happy to welcome Freddie back to the Cellulant family,” says Richard Gesimba, Chief Revenue Officer at Cellulant. “Ghana remains a critical market for us, with immense potential driven by rising digital payments adoption.
“As we sharpen our focus on in-country enterprise customers, Freddie’s leadership and industry insight make him the ideal person to steer our Ghana operations.”
The appointment comes at a transformative time for the company. Following a strategic shift between late 2023 and early 2024, focused on streamlining operations, doubling down on enterprise payments, and strengthening customer intimacy, Cellulant achieved profitability in 2024 and continues to build on this momentum.
The company now processes close to 4.5 million transactions daily for businesses across Africa, reinforcing its position as a fintech leader.
“I am honoured to return to Cellulant and lead the Ghana team at such a defining moment,” says Freddie, Country Manager for Cellulant Ghana. “Ghana presents a tremendous opportunity.
“We will ramp up our efforts to sign on more local merchants, strengthen our compliance and control frameworks, and introduce innovative solutions like Tingg Edupay, our automated school fee management solution that eliminates reconciliation delays by validating payments in real time and instantly updating student accounts.
“We will build on Cellulant’s strong foundation to deliver real value, reliability, and economic impact.”
Ghana’s digital payments sector continues to grow steadily, supported by increased mobile money usage and a progressive regulatory environment. Between January and October 2025, the value of mobile money transactions hit about GH¢ 3.6 trillion, up sharply from GH¢ 2.37 trillion in the same period of 2024.
Registered mobile money accounts now exceed 79 million, demonstrating strong consumer and business confidence in digital financial services and in turn creating many opportunities for payment innovation.
This leadership appointment underscores Cellulant’s commitment to building a resilient, high-performance organisation geared towards playing a pivotal role in the next era of Africa’s digital economy.
Looking ahead to 2026, Cellulant plans to further enhance the user experience on its payment platform, Tingg, and expand its footprint across Ghana.
Nigeria’s startup ecosystem received a fresh injection of momentum as top emerging ventures secured funding and investor attention at the iHatch National Demo Day, where Interface Africa clinched the highest prize of $15,000.
The 4th cohort of the NITDA–JICA-backed accelerator brought together founders, policymakers, and venture stakeholders in Abuja, showcasing innovations ranging from clean-energy financing and digital food marketplaces to next-gen fintech tools.
The startups went rounds of running through state-level selections and regional competition. iHatch was established in 2021 as a strategic partnership to create an enabling environment for young Nigerians to develop and scale their innovative solutions.
The iHatch National Demo Day (4th Cohort), is an initiative by NITDA and JICA which provides a clear pathway for homegrown talent to contribute significantly to economic diversification and digital transformation.
After rigorous selection processes, the top founders converged to pitch their innovations, recognised the standout performers, which are:
Interface Africa with $15,000, the firm is driving Nigeria’s clean energy transition by enabling structured and affordable solar financing.
Ahioma with $12,000, the firm enhances food accessibility with a digital marketplace connecting consumers directly to trusted vendors.
Linia Finance with $10,000, the firm is helping Nigerians take control of their finances with tools for budgeting, tracking, and smart money planning.
Chapta got a laptop reward. They delivering an offline-capable school application ensuring consistent, accessible learning for students everywhere.
Softdrop also got a laptop reward, they solve logistics challenges through a modern delivery platform designed for speed, convenience, and efficiency.
Fidelity Bank Plc, a leading financial institution, will host a free virtual training on the Nigeria Tax Act 2025 (NTA) as part of its commitment to helping small businesses prepare for the upcoming legislation.
Fidelity Bank
The masterclass is scheduled for 10:00 AM (Nigerian time) on Friday, 12 December 2025. It will provide participants with clear insights into changes in the tax framework, the impact on income and business operations, and practical steps to avoid penalties in 2026.
Attendees will also learn strategies to stay ahead in an evolving regulatory environment.
The Nigerian government enacted major tax reforms on 26 June 2025 when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed four tax bills into law.
These Acts will take effect on 1 January 2026 and represent a significant overhaul of the country’s tax system.
The reforms aim to modernize and harmonize Nigeria’s tax framework, improve revenue generation, broaden the tax base, and create clearer rules for individuals, businesses, and government agencies.
“Our decision to host this masterclass reflects our commitment to empowering businesses with the right information ahead of the commencement of the new tax regime.
“Information is money and a well-informed business owner is already steps ahead in the race to success.
“This is why we are bringing experts to provide accurate details and demystify the tax act,” said Osita Ede, Divisional Head, Product Development, Fidelity Bank Plc.
Interested participants can register via https://bit.ly/2026TaxLawMasterclass .
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