Nigeria’s Education System Not a Push-Over — TETFund Boss

…Says country becoming a hub for skilled labour

The Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Mr Sonny Echono, has asserted that Nigeria’s education system remains formidable and competitive among its global counterparts.

He further stated that the country is fast becoming a hub for marketable skilled labour, appreciated around the world.

Echono, speaking at the weekend during the Vanguard Newspaper Personality of the Year Awards—where he received the Education Icon Award—commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration for its innovative policies in the education sector. He reaffirmed TETFund’s commitment to fulfilling its responsibilities towards national development.

“Despite the odds and challenges, the products of our education system are no pushovers,” he said. “They can compete favourably with their peers across the globe. Many of our youths are now employed by multinational companies while working remotely from Nigeria.”

He added that Nigeria’s young population gives it a strategic advantage.
“While many advanced nations face ageing or stagnant populations, Nigeria enjoys a youthful and increasingly skilled demographic. These countries require youthful, skilled labour to revitalise their economies. This is why investing in education is so crucial,” Echono explained.

He highlighted the achievements of TETFund under his leadership, noting that over 40,000 individuals have been supported to pursue postgraduate programmes both locally and internationally.

“To ensure there is no disparity between the training facilities used abroad and those in Nigeria, we are heavily investing in upgrading infrastructure across our campuses. We are committed to ensuring timely completion of these projects to avoid cost escalations due to inflation. Project monitoring has also been strengthened,” he said.

On the concern that TETFund might be overstretched due to the establishment of more public tertiary institutions, Echono responded that prudent resource management had helped the Fund remain effective.

“Yes, we have more institutions to cater for, but we also benefit from increased revenue through the Education Tax. Most importantly, we are efficiently managing the resources at our disposal,” he affirmed.

Echono dedicated his award to President Tinubu, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, and the staff and management of TETFund. He said the recognition would further motivate his team to work harder.

He reiterated TETFund’s commitment to executing legacy projects capable of transforming Nigeria’s tertiary education landscape and called for continued collaboration from institutional management to ensure the seamless implementation of its initiatives.