By Stellamaris Ashinze
Mr Tim Akano, Chief Executive Officer of New Horizons Nigeria, says the country must urgently embrace emerging technologies to remain competitive globally.
Akano told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos that technology has historically determined global dominance.
“In the last 1,000 years, every nation that ruled successfully did so on the back of technology.
“Technology decides who is the top dog and who is the underdog,” he said.
Akano described synthetic intelligence as a more advanced stage of artificial intelligence, where machines could become smarter and more powerful than humans.
“Artificial intelligence is about machines mimicking humans, but synthetic intelligence is about machines being as powerful or more powerful than humans.
“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 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.
He 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.
“Lagos is cosmopolitan and traffic is chaotic. It is difficult to travel across the city for IT training. So, we want to be closer to our customers,” he said.
Akano said the organisation, which has operated for 21 years, had trained over two million professionals, boosting Nigeria’s ICT manpower development. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Kamal Tayo Oropo
