The Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Sonny Echono, has pledged to intensify efforts towards transforming Nigeria’s tertiary education sector, saying his selection for The Sun Public Service Personality of the Year award would spur him to do more for the country.
Echono, who expressed appreciation to the management of The Sun Publishing Limited for the recognition, said the honour would further strengthen his commitment to improving the quality of tertiary education and preparing Nigerian graduates to compete favourably on the global stage.
He spoke at the Sun Awards night held at the Eko Convention Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, at the weekend.
The TETFund boss, who was accompanied by the Chairman of the Fund’s Board of Trustees, Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, represented by the Board member for the North Central Zone, Dr. Hassan Abdulrahman Ocholi, described the recognition as both humbling and encouraging.
He noted that the award was particularly significant because it came from a reputable media organisation whose annual awards had become highly coveted in the country.
“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,” he said.
He described The Sun Awards as a major national recognition that attracts considerable attention and anticipation, adding that the honour would encourage him to rededicate himself to national service.
Echono, however, stressed that the achievements recorded by TETFund were not the accomplishments of one individual but the product of collective commitment and institutional collaboration.
He acknowledged the contributions and 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 the Chairman of TETFund’s Board of Trustees, Masari.
He also commended the Fund’s Board, management, staff, stakeholders and other partners in the tertiary education sector for their contributions to the progress recorded.
According to him, TETFund has continued to build on the foundations laid by previous administrations to create an environment capable of transforming tertiary institutions and changing the dynamics of higher education in Nigeria.
He said the ongoing transformation agenda in the education sector, being championed by President Tinubu through the Federal Ministry of Education, goes beyond the provision of infrastructure to ensuring that Nigerian institutions meet international standards and produce graduates capable of competing anywhere in the world.
Reflecting on his recent experience at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Echono said he was encouraged by the positive reactions of visitors from across the country and beyond, who expressed pleasant surprise at the quality of facilities at the institution.
He disclosed that some visitors had initially expected to find a dilapidated campus and poorly maintained facilities but were impressed by what they encountered, particularly the hall where the institution hosted its event.
He said the experience reinforced the need for sustained investment in infrastructure and the improvement of learning environments across Nigerian 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 added that the ambition behind TETFund’s interventions was to make Nigerian institutions reference points for excellence, functionality and quality education.
He stressed that the commitment to achieving this objective continued to drive the Fund’s leadership and workforce, noting that Nigeria needed institutions that citizens could confidently identify as centres of effective teaching, learning and research.
