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Vice-chancellor of the University of Abuja, Prof. Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi, has described the executive secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Sonny Echono, as one of Nigeria’s most accomplished education administrators whose wealth of experience and research expertise can help strengthen governance in the nation’s universities.
Fawehinmi spoke at the maiden edition of the Abuja Leadership Centre Public Lecture Series held at the University of Abuja, where Echono delivered a lecture on leadership selection processes and governance in Nigerian federal universities.
The VC said Echono’s extensive experience in public service, higher education administration and policy implementation uniquely qualifies him to contribute to national conversations on university governance and leadership.
According to him, Echono has built an impressive career in the civil service, rising through the ranks to become permanent secretary in key ministries, including agriculture, communications and education, before his appointment as executive secretary of TETFund.
He noted that Echono’s deep understanding of the education sector and the statutory responsibilities of TETFund has enabled him to provide effective leadership for the intervention agency.
“Today is a special and auspicious day because the person delivering today’s lecture is an intellectual giant, a career civil servant and a seasoned administrator, a civil servant par excellence who has walked through the corridors of the civil service from the lowest to the highest levels,” Fawehinmi said.
The VC further described Echono as a round peg in a round hole, noting that his professional background as an architect and administrator, coupled with his understanding of the legal and operational framework guiding TETFund, makes him exceptionally suited for the position.
He added that Echono’s contributions to education administration have been enriched by his academic pursuits, particularly his doctoral research on leadership selection and governance in federal universities.
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Fawehinmi said the lecture topic was timely and relevant to university administrators, governing councils and policymakers seeking to improve leadership recruitment processes in higher institutions. “The topic is very apt and one that every university governing council and management should be interested in.
“Apart from his experience as Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Education, he has undertaken doctoral research in this area and is now sharing the benefit of that knowledge and experience,” he said.
He expressed optimism that the findings and recommendations emerging from Echono’s research would stimulate discussions among university leaders on how to improve the selection of vice-chancellors and other principal officers.
According to him, governing councils across the country stand to benefit from the insights contained in the study, particularly in promoting transparency, merit, accountability and institutional stability.
The Vice-Chancellor urged participants to pay close attention to the lecture, describing it as an opportunity to engage with practical and evidence-based ideas capable of improving governance in Nigerian universities.
He also commended the Director of the Abuja Leadership Centre, Prof. Ozohu Suleiman, and members of the organising committee for initiating the public lecture series, which he said would serve as an important platform for intellectual engagement and policy discourse.
The event attracted senior officials from the National Universities Commission (NUC), members of the TETFund Board, security agencies, academics, university administrators, students and other stakeholders in the education sector.
Echono’s lecture focused on the relationship between leadership selection processes and governance outcomes in federal universities, highlighting the need for transparent, inclusive and merit-based appointments to strengthen institutional effectiveness and academic excellence.
