The Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Arc. Sonny Echono, has reaffirmed his commitment to the effective allocation of taxpayer resources to promote educational growth.
Echono made this commitment shortly after receiving the Legacy Award from the College of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), alongside other esteemed educators.
This recognition was presented to him during the COEASU 2024 International Teachers’ Day celebration, which included awards for outstanding students from Colleges of Education across Nigeria, held on Friday in Abuja in honor of Teachers’ Day.
Under the theme “Valuing Teachers’ Voices Towards Repositioning Teacher Education in Nigeria,” the event also recognized other prominent figures, including Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), and His Excellency Alhaji Abdulmalik Mahmood, the former Deputy Governor of Bauchi State.
Speaking with reporters after accepting the award, Echono expressed gratitude to the President for the opportunity to serve and extended his congratulations to educators globally on their special day.
“We feel particularly honored that they have chosen this occasion to also recognize us with the Legacy Award and Induction into the Hall of Fame.
“I was informed in the letter that this award reflects the culmination of our service—our humble contributions during my tenure as Permanent Secretary for four and a half years and the last two and a half years as Executive Secretary of TETFund.
“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, the management, and staff, we express our appreciation and renew our commitment to ensuring that taxpayer money is prudently and judiciously deployed for the development of education in our country. Our goal is to help our students acquire the skills to become competitive global citizens who can contribute to national development.”
Earlier in the event, Dr. Smart Olugbeko, the President of COEASU, announced that the Union has allocated N3.5 million to reward the six best students, each representing one of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
“Our Union has instituted a scholarship for the best student in the College of Education system in Nigeria. Through a transparent, objective, and externally coordinated examination process, we identified the best students from each zone, as well as an overall top student.”
He urged government agencies, private organizations, award recipients, and individuals to support these prizes for students.
The Minister of State for Education, Dr. Yusuf Sununu, presented the awards to the recipients, reiterating the Ministry’s commitment to enhancing teachers’ welfare.
In addition to the COEASU awards, the Federal Government will also provide scholarships to the students. He directed that their information be submitted to the Federal Scholarship Board and encouraged society to view teaching as a profession rather than merely an activity.
He acknowledged the collaboration from the two unions, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and COEASU.
Also addressing the audience, guest speaker Prof. Josiah Olusegun Ajiboye, the former Registrar of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), urged the government to implement competitive remuneration packages for teachers and provide consistent training, workshops, and conferences.
He stressed the importance of involving teachers, unions, and communities in decision-making processes and advocated for investments in modern classrooms, technology, and educational resources.
He recommended increased funding for educational infrastructure and the development of a comprehensive teacher training program while also calling for a nationwide campaign to recruit teachers.
Additionally, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Prof. Paulinus Chijioke Okwelle, highlighted the need to enhance the teaching profession’s status to attract the brightest and most passionate individuals.
