Echono Bags African Leadership Award

Arc. Sonny Echono, the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), has been honoured with the prestigious African Leadership Excellence Award in Educational Development from the African Leadership Organization.

The Award was presented by the Prime Minister of the Bahamas, HE Philip Davis, in London, United Kingdom.

This accolade celebrates his outstanding leadership, transformative reforms, and remarkable contributions to the education sector, solidifying his reputation as a visionary leader dedicated to enhancing educational excellence.

Since assuming office in 2022 as the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Echono has spearheaded numerous landmark projects to fulfil the Fund’s mandate.

Under his leadership, TETFund has significantly improved physical infrastructure in tertiary institutions, equipping them with facilities essential for academic activities.

TETFund has provided modern laboratory equipment for Urology, Endourology, and Cancer Centres in twelve (12) University Teaching Hospitals across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones to curb medical tourism and its associated capital flight.

This intervention spans institutions such as Ahmadu Bello University Zaria; Bayero University, Kano; University of Jos; University of Abuja; Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi; University of Maiduguri; Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka; University of Nigeria, Nsukka; University of Benin; University of Port Harcourt; University of Lagos; and Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

Echono’s focus on Research and Development (R&D) is evident with the inauguration of the National Research Fund Screening & Monitoring Committee (NRF & MC), which addresses the quality of research output and facilitates the deployment of funds for cutting-edge research in national priority areas.

In 2022, TETFund sponsored: 270 NRF research projects worth N5.7 billion, and in 2023, 185 research projects worth over N5.1 billion. Additionally, N10.6 billion was disbursed for Institution-Based Research to build foundational research capacity among lecturers.

In the same vein, TETFund also established three new Centres of Excellence in 2023, bringing the total to 27.