By Funmilayo Adeyemi
The Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Mr Sonny Echono, has pledged intensified reforms and greater accountability in Nigeria’s tertiary education system following his recognition as Tertiary Education Transformation Champion.
Echono made the pledge on Friday in Abuja while receiving the 2025 Personality of the Year Award presented by the Aljazirah Group.
He said the award was a motivation to deepen ongoing interventions aimed at repositioning universities, polytechnics and colleges of education as drivers of national development.
The TETFund boss said the recognition reflected the collective efforts of the Fund’s Board of Trustees, management and staff, who continually monitor projects nationwide to ensure prudent utilisation of public resources.
“This honour is a big tonic for us. We will continue to rededicate ourselves to the service of our country and deliver more impactful projects and initiatives for beneficiary institutions,” he said.
Echono dedicated the award to President Bola Tinubu, noting that sustained government support had enabled TETFund to expand its interventions across the education sector.
According to him, early approvals of intervention funds and increased presidential backing have accelerated infrastructure delivery, research funding and institutional reforms.
He disclosed that TETFund secured approvals for its 2026 intervention cycle ahead of schedule, allowing beneficiary institutions to access allocations early in the year.
“We invited all beneficiary institutions early and allocated their funds so projects could commence immediately. The results are already visible across campuses,” he said.
Echono added that the Fund had also intervened in the energy challenges facing tertiary institutions, noting that collaboration with the Federal Government had boosted efforts toward campus energy self-sufficiency.
He explained that beyond infrastructure development, TETFund was shifting focus toward research excellence, innovation and human capital development to position Nigeria within the global knowledge economy.
According to him, initiatives such as national research exhibitions, digital academic platforms and strengthened research networks are designed to enhance intellectual productivity and global competitiveness.
He expressed optimism that increased investment in higher education would equip Nigerian youths with the skills required to compete globally and contribute to economic growth.
Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of Aljazirah Nigeria, Dr Etuk Williams, said Echono’s leadership had transformed TETFund into a strategic engine for research development, institutional accountability and education reform.
Williams said independent assessments across federal universities indicated major improvements in project delivery, transparency and value for money under Echono’s leadership.
He added that an investigative team of the organisation conducted an undercover assessment of TETFund’s operations in 2025, posing as contractors to evaluate procurement processes and administrative procedures.
According to him, the investigation extended to domestic and international checks on the executive secretary’s conduct over the past three years.
“After several months of search, we found no evidence linking the executive secretary to corrupt practices,” he said.
Williams noted that the findings formed part of a broader 72-page report titled “Aljazirah Crack Findings on Public Servants in Nigeria,” which will be presented to President Bola Tinubu, anti-corruption agencies and the public in August 2026. (NAN) www.nannews.ng
Edited by Tosin Kolade
