How Sonny Echono Is Changing Nigeria’s Higher Education for the Better

When Architect Sonny Echono became the head of TETFund (Tertiary Education Trust Fund) in March 2022, his primary goal was to reform and improve public universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education in Nigeria. In less than three years, he has implemented significant changes that are benefiting students, lecturers, and schools nationwide. From the start, Echono did not treat TETFund as just another office for distributing funds. He wanted to ensure the money was used in ways that truly benefited education.

One of the first things Echono did was to ensure that school building contracts were correctly completed. He stopped corruption and ensured that buildings were completed faster and of higher quality. As a result, over 950 new buildings have been constructed in schools across Nigeria. These include classrooms, libraries, science labs, hostels, and computer centres. With these new buildings, students now have more space and better learning environments.

A significant problem in Nigerian schools is the lack of hostels. TETFund spent a significant amount of money to build additional hostels for students. Now, many students have access to clean and safe places to sleep, with improved water, toilets, and security. Echono also helped schools go digital. He established a national centre to train people in digital skills and ensured that schools had access to good internet. He also introduced online learning systems, allowing teachers and students to learn and teach through the internet. This was particularly helpful during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

He also improved medical training. TETFund built special medical centres in six university hospitals. These centres feature modern equipment for training doctors and treating patients, particularly in areas such as cancer care, bone surgery, and other complex health issues. This helps reduce the number of Nigerians travelling abroad for medical care. Research has also improved. In 2022 and 2023, TETFund disbursed over N10 billion to support more than 400 research projects. The projects focused on farming, health, safety, and the environment. Nigerian researchers have also developed practical tools, such as hearing aids and smart health devices.

To help students get jobs after school, Echono started a programme to teach job skills. Career centres were established in many schools to help students learn how to secure jobs or start their businesses. TETFund also gave scholarships to over 23,000 PhD students and 15,000 Master’s students. Over 77,000 lecturers and other school staff members received training at home and abroad to enhance their teaching skills.