At a recent summit in Abuja, Arch. Sonny Echono, the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), urged Local Government Area Councils to make strategic investments in tertiary education.
Speaking after receiving an award of excellence at the annual summit organised by the Association of Chairmen of Local Government Service Commissions, he emphasized the importance of local government autonomy, recently restored by President Ahmed Tinubu.
The theme of the summit was “Addressing Security and Other Contemporary Challenges at the Local Government Areas in Nigeria.”
The Executive Secretary expressed appreciation to the association for honoring him with the award. He thanked President Ahmed Tinubu for restoring autonomy to local governments and reaffirmed that TETFund will continue to support tertiary education in Nigeria.
“As I told them, to whom much is given, much is expected. Now that Mr. President has taken a bold and courageous step to restore local government autonomy, we expect more resources to flow to that sector.
“Having done that, we expect them to invest in tertiary education, and TETFund will be there to support them.
“With these increased resources, we expect them to come on board and be equal partners with the state and federal government,” he added.
Also speaking, the Chairman of LGSC, Hon. Kamal Ayinde Bayewu, commended the Executive Secretary for his tireless efforts in upgrading tertiary education, expressing hope that the award will inspire him to achieve even more.
Echono was previously recognised with the Nigerian Patriotic Leadership Excellence Award in Education Development. The award, organized by the Nigerian Patriotism Award, acknowledges Echono’s remarkable contributions to the advancement of tertiary education in Nigeria and beyond.
Similarly, he recently received the Legacy Award from the College of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), among several others.
