By: Modupe Esther Ikeun
Arc. Sonny Echono’s tenure as the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) is fast becoming a golden chapter in the history of Nigeria’s tertiary education sector. Appointed in 2022, Echono has brought to bear a leadership style defined by vision,reform,and strategic innovation.
His administration has moved beyond the traditional brick-and-mortar interventions associated with TETFund to create a more dynamic and impactful system that prioritises research commercialisation, digital transformation, academic development, and institutional transparency.
Unlike previous leaderships that focused predominantly on infrastructure, Echono has shifted the emphasis toward research-driven solutions to national problems.
Under his leadership, TET Fund introduced the Research for Impact (R4i) programme, training over 600 lecturers to translate theoretical knowledge into real-world innovations. One such output is the development of a self programmable, affordable hearing aid suitable for African contexts, which gained international recognition after being presented at a global conference in Israel.
Through the TET Fund Alliance for Innovative Research (TETFAIR), 176 researchers across the six geopolitical zones produced 16 groundbreaking prototypes. Moreover, a consortium of Nigerian scholars, supported by TETFund, developed a DNA-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate now undergoing preclinical trials.
Echono has also placed capacity development at the heart of TETFund’s agenda. In 2024 alone, over 4,600 academic staff benefited from foreign and local sponsorships across doctoral, master’s,postdoctoral, and benchwork programs.
In the same period, more than 16,900 scholars from universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education were sponsored to attend local and international academic conferences. TETFund’s support for teaching practice supervision also reached new heights, with nearly 15,000 supervisions conducted to enhance teacher education standards.
The revitalisation of library and publishing resources under Echono is another milestone.TETFund procured over 219,000 books, 1,356 e-resources, and more than 15,000 pieces of library equipment in 2024. it also published 370 new academic book titles and over half a million copies of scholarly journals.
Notably, 45 Ph.D. theses have already been converted into books, and an additional 24 are in advanced publishing stages. These efforts underscore a commitment to Indigenous knowledge production and dissemination. n the area of infrastructure, Echono oversaw the completion of seven Academic Publishing entresacro.sthecount one in each geopolitical zone and the FCT.
These facilities are no fully operational and serve as hubs for academic publishing and research dissemination.Furthermore, over N31 billion was invested in upgrading laboratories, workshops, and multipurpose research facilities in 2023 and 2024 alone, reflecting a deliberate move toward building a competitive national innovation ecosystem.
One of the most significant transformations under Echono is the full digitisation of TETFund’s operations. Through the Tertiary Education Research, Applications and Services (TERAS) platform, the Fund has enabled electronic fund allocation, thesis digitisation,online submission of intervention requests, and real-time collaboration between the Fund and beneficiary institutions.Leave management, attendance tracking, and internal communication have been fully automated,reducing inefficiencies and promoting transparency.
Microsoft Office 365 licences were renewed,and over 300 new staff accounts were activated to improve productivity and accountability. Echono has also institutionalised a strong culture of financial integrity.
The 2023 statutory audit was completed ahead of schedule, while the fund maintained seamless communication with the Auditor-General’s office, National Assembly committees, and other government agencies.
Budgetary control mechanisms were tightened, turnaround time for transactions was reduced,and a zero-tolerance policy on fraud and embezzlement was enforced. On the research front, significant financial investments were made to advance both basic and applied studies.
The National Research Fund received N5 billion in 2024 to support innovative projects in science, engineering, social sciences, and cross-cutting fields.
TETFund also increased the grant ceiling for institution-based research projects to N5 million for science and N4 million for humanities to address inflationary pressures and improve research quality. In total, 4,841 IBR proposals were processed in 2024.
The Centres of Excellence programme was equally expanded, with each centre receiving a N1 billion take-off grant and additional funding provided for the upgrade of seven high-performing centres across Nigeria.
In sum, the tenure of Arc. Sonny Echono is redefining the role and impact of TETFund in Nigeria’s tertiary education system. He has steered the Fund from being a mere intervention agency to becoming a catalyst for innovation, academic excellence, and global competitiveness.
Through targeted reforms, strategic investments, and a forward-looking agenda, Echono is not only strengthening institutions but also laying the foundation fora knowledge-driven economy.
His achievements signal a new era of higher education governance where impact is measured not just in buildings but in ideas, innovations, and national relevance.
He is committed to the Renewed Hope Agenda rewarding human capital and infrastructural development in public tertiary institutions in the country.
