The Chief Executive Officer of New Horizons Nigeria, Mr. Tim Akano has urged Nigeria to urgently adopt emerging technologies to remain globally competitive.
Akano made the call in an interview with the Press on Tuesday in Lagos, noting that technological advancement has historically shaped global leadership.
According to him, nations that have dominated the world over the past 1,000 years did so largely on the strength of their technological superiority.
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“Technology determines who leads and who lags behind,” he said, stressing that countries that fail to embrace innovation risk being left behind in the fast-evolving global order.
Akano further explained that the world is already moving beyond traditional digital transformation into what he described as synthetic intelligence — a more advanced stage of artificial intelligence where machines could potentially surpass human intelligence and capabilities.
This shift, he noted, makes it imperative for Nigeria to position itself strategically in the emerging technology ecosystem
“We are not there yet, but we are heading there,” he said.
According to him, synthetic intelligence could significantly alter how tasks are performed globally.
He said ongoing research suggests machines may soon execute assignments from start to finish without human supervision.
“A machine could take a task from the beginning and complete it without reporting back,” he said.
Akano urged Nigeria and Africa to position their youths strategically to compete with counterparts in technologically advanced nations.
He said New Horizons had prioritised AI training to support national development and prepare for the future workforce.
“For Nigeria to be a top dog, and for Africa to succeed, technology is key. Today’s defining technology is artificial intelligence.
“We have no choice but to be in this space, so our children can compete with Chinese and American children in 10 or 20 years,” he said.
Akano identified poor infrastructure as a major challenge to emerging technologies in Nigeria, but stressed that partnerships could bridge the gap.
“Everything is about infrastructure. The cost here is high, but we partner with banks to secure resources,” he said.
Akano said the company was deploying infrastructure for advanced training in AI, quantum computing and synthetic intelligence.
Akano added that New Horizons was expanding its physical presence to make training more accessible, particularly in traffic-congested Lagos State.
He said five new centres opened in 2025 in the University of Lagos, Ajah, Akute, Egbeda, and Ondo State.
According to him, 10 additional centres would be established in Lagos in 2026 to bring ICT training closer to residents.
Akano said the organisation, which has operated for 21 years, had trained over two million professionals, boosting Nigeria’s ICT manpower development.
NAN