By Felix Khanoba
The Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Sonny Echono, has said his emergence as The Sun Public Service Personality of the Year will strengthen his resolve to contribute more towards repositioning Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.
Echono said the recognition would serve as an additional incentive for him and his team to intensify efforts at improving the standard of higher education, upgrading learning facilities and equipping Nigerian graduates with the skills needed to compete globally.
He spoke at the award ceremony organised by The Sun Publishing Limited at the Eko Convention Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, at the weekend.
The TETFund chief executive attended the event alongside the Chairman of the Fund’s Board of Trustees, Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, who was represented by the North Central representative on the Board, Dr. Hassan Abddulrahman Ocholi.
Other members of the delegation included the Director of Finance and Accounts, Dr. (Mrs) Gloria Olotu; Director of ICT, Engr. Joseph Odo; and Director of Education Support Services, Mr. Baba Imam.
Also present were the Director of Public Affairs, Mr. Abdulmumin Oniyangi; Director of the Executive Secretary’s Office, Engr. Tunde Olakunri; TETFund South West Zonal Coordinator, Engr. Taiwo Lukman; Head of SERVICOM, Dr. (Mrs) Ebere Nwobu; and Head of Legal, Dr. Abdul Khalil, alongside friends, family members and associates.
Expressing appreciation for the honour, Echono said he was particularly delighted that his contributions to the development of Nigeria’s education sector had received recognition from a respected media organisation.
He noted that The Sun’s annual awards had grown into one of the country’s highly anticipated recognition platforms, making the honour especially meaningful to him.
He added: “I am humbled, yet deeply grateful, that our modest efforts to contribute meaningfully to the preparation of the young and future generations of Nigeria, which, in our view, constitute perhaps the most critical resource we have as a country—are being noticed, acknowledged and rewarded with an award of this nature.”
The TETFund boss described the award as a significant national endorsement, saying it would further strengthen his determination to serve the country and contribute to the development of its human capital.
However, he was quick to attribute the progress recorded by the Fund to collective commitment and institutional collaboration, acknowledging the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, and Masari.
He also commended the TETFund Board of Trustees, management, staff, stakeholders and development partners for their contributions to the Fund’s achievements.
According to Echono, the current administration has continued to build on the foundations established by its predecessors, creating opportunities for far-reaching reforms and improvements across the nation’s tertiary institutions.
He explained that the education reform agenda of President Tinubu, implemented through the Ministry of Education under Alausa, was not limited to constructing buildings and providing physical infrastructure but also focused on raising institutional standards to meet global expectations.
The ultimate objective, he said, was to ensure that Nigerian universities and other tertiary institutions produced graduates equipped to compete effectively in the international labour market.
Reflecting on a recent visit to the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Echono said the positive reactions of visitors from different parts of the country and abroad demonstrated the impact of ongoing investments in the education sector.
He disclosed that some visitors had arrived with low expectations, anticipating poorly maintained facilities and a deteriorating campus environment, but were pleasantly surprised by the quality of infrastructure they encountered, particularly the hall used for the institution’s event.
The experience, he said, further reinforced the importance of sustained investment in infrastructure and the creation of conducive learning environments across the country’s tertiary institutions.
“Our goal is to restore our campuses to the standards that institutions of learning should maintain, while also preparing and equipping our graduates to compete globally,” he said.
Echono maintained that TETFund’s interventions were designed to position Nigerian tertiary institutions as centres of excellence, effective teaching, innovative research and quality learning.
He added that the Fund’s leadership and workforce remained committed to ensuring that Nigerian institutions attained standards that would make them competitive internationally and worthy of national pride.
