Entrepreneur and technology professional, Mr. Tim Akano, has received Distinguished Alumnus Awards from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) and Baptist Day School, Oluponna, in recognition of his contributions to education, mentorship, technology, and community development.
Both awards were conferred in November 2025.
Mr. Akano, a 1983 graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, was recognised by the institution for his involvement in entrepreneurship and technology-driven initiatives, as well as his sustained mentorship of students.
According to the university, his interventions have included scholarship support targeted at artificial intelligence studies and structured mentorship for selected undergraduates.
Since 2023, he has maintained an annual mentorship programme under which students from the Department of International Relations are selected for guidance and career development support.
Distinguished Alumnus Award
At Baptist Day School, Oluponna, Mr. Akano became the first alumnus to receive a Distinguished Alumnus Award since the school’s establishment in the 1930s. During a visit to the school in November, he inspected infrastructure projects funded through the Tim Akano Foundation.
- These projects include the construction of a borehole, toilet facilities for teachers and pupils, as well as a perimeter fence and gate around the school premises. School officials said the fence has improved safety and restricted unauthorised access to the school environment.
- The school’s Principal recalled a security incident that occurred before the perimeter fence was constructed, noting that no similar cases have been recorded since the project was completed three years ago.
- The school management also disclosed that pupil enrolment has increased in recent years, attributing the trend partly to improved infrastructure and security. In 2025, the school admitted over 30 new pupils, continuing a pattern recorded over the past three academic sessions.
Support for pupils
As part of ongoing interventions, the Tim Akano Foundation announced plans to provide additional maintenance equipment for the school compound and to sponsor the secondary education of selected graduating pupils. The Foundation also introduced a monthly cash incentive for teachers, aimed at supplementing government-paid salaries.
During the visit, Mr. Akano presented pupils with a copy of his Primary School Leaving Certificate issued by Baptist Day School in 1975, which school officials described as a symbolic gesture to motivate current pupils.
The awards from both OAU and Baptist Day School reflect Mr. Akano’s involvement in education-focused initiatives across basic and tertiary levels, alongside mentorship and community development programmes.
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