Tim Akano, the founder and CEO of New Horizons Africa Group, has been named a Global Finalist for the 2026 Humanity Flourishing Prize. This global recognition is awarded by I AM HUMANITY, a U.S.-registered nonprofit movement focused on the long-term flourishing of humanity and life on Earth. The nomination places Mr. Akano among a group of individuals selected for their measurable impact on people, communities, and the world. Organizers describe the cohort as “an extraordinary group of nominees working across many countries and fields of endeavor.” Winners will be announced globally on October 24, 2026, which marks Humanity Day. By 2025, this celebration had expanded to 53 countries.
“Being named a Finalist is itself a recognition of contribution to humanity flourishing,” organizers told Mr. Akano when notifying him of his selection. In response to the news, the Nigerian technopreneur offered a perspective that shifted the focus away from individual achievement. “This nomination is not about me. It is a spotlight on 100 million children the world has not yet found a way to reach, and proof that we already know how,” Mr. Akano said. His reaction highlights a central theme of his career: the belief that systemic barriers to education and economic participation can be dismantled through targeted, practical intervention.
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A Career Built on One Conviction
For more than two decades, Mr. Akano has operated on a single premise: human potential should never be wasted because of poverty, disability, lack of access to education, or the circumstances of one’s birth. This conviction has translated into concrete interventions across Nigeria and the broader African continent. The most urgent focus of his work has been the crisis affecting the 100 million children currently out of school across Africa. Mr. Akano has dedicated his career to addressing this gap, viewing it not just as a social issue but as an economic opportunity that has been largely untapped.
In 2026, Mr. Akano launched the Almajiri-to-Tech Empowerment Scheme. This initiative enrolled 21 Almajiri children, a demographic often cited as among Nigeria’s most vulnerable, into structured technology training. The program went beyond simple instruction. It provided daily meals, transportation, clothing, tools, and a safe learning environment throughout the six-month curriculum. On graduation, the children were not released back to the streets. Instead, Mr. Akano built a dedicated workshop where the graduates now work and earn a living. This approach reflects a philosophy that young people, often treated as social problems, can become net economic contributors when society invests in their capacity.
From Street-Level Aid to Continental Strategy
The Almajiri initiative has since grown into the Out-of-School-Almajiri-Vulnerable Children-to-Tech Foundation. His humanitarian reach extends further through the Tim Akano Foundation. He returned to Baptist Day School in Oluponna, Osun State, the primary school he attended between 1972 and 1978. He adopted the institution outright, providing fencing, borehole water, toilets, uniforms, and learning materials for the 300 pupils who walk the same halls he once did. This personal investment in his former school demonstrates a strong commitment to foundational infrastructure, which is frequently missing in rural educational settings.
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Practically speaking, this model suggests that the barrier to economic growth in many African regions is not a lack of talent, but a lack of basic access and tools. By providing the hardware of education—meals, safety, and internet—alongside the software of skills, Mr. Akano’s approach treats poverty as a solvable logistical problem rather than an inherent trait. This perspective aligns with the data-driven optimism that drives his broader candidacy.
His support for the Federal School of the Blind in Oshodi, Lagos, further illustrates this philosophy. He computerized the institution and provided internet access. He also sponsored blind ICT instructor Olayinka Akinbiyi to teach fellow visually impaired students free of charge. In Mr. Akano’s own words, this was driven by the conviction that disability should never be grounds for exclusion from the digital economy. He believes technology should remove barriers rather than create new ones. This focus on inclusive access is a key component of the four pillars of human flourishing: education, economics, communal well-being, and environment.
The Economics of Human Flourishing
Africa’s average income per person today stands at roughly $2,370 a year. Mr. Akano’s central thesis, which is central to his Humanity Flourishing Prize candidacy, is that equipping Africa’s excluded youth at scale could move that figure toward $10,000 per person. This shift would lift the continent from the World Bank’s lower-income tiers into its upper-middle-income band. For a movement built around education, economics, communal well-being, and environment, Mr. Akano’s model speaks directly to at least two of those dimensions at the continental scale. The gap between current income levels and his target is significant, but his track record suggests a focus on scalable, tangible outcomes.
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Beyond his humanitarian portfolio, Mr. Akano serves as President of One Africa Initiatives and One Africa Academy. These organizations unite African intellectuals, professionals, and diaspora leaders around technological, civic, and economic development. The goal is to empower youths across Africa with life skills like entrepreneurship and critical thinking. He is also the pioneering convener of the World Cyber Security Conference. Additionally, he has championed semiconductor knowledge-transfer partnerships between African nations.
The 2026 Humanity Flourishing Prize will recognize these contributions on a global stage. The announcement on October 24 will coincide with Humanity Day, a milestone that has grown to include 53 countries. Mr. Akano’s work continues to focus on the measurable difference in the lives of those left behind, aiming to transform vulnerability into economic agency.
