Nigeria Becoming a Center for Skilled Workers—Echono

Mr. Sonny Echono, the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), has stated that Nigeria is increasingly recognized as a center for skilled labour that is in demand around the world.

He made this known over the weekend during an interaction at the Vanguard Newspaper’s annual Personality of the Year Awards, where he was honored with the Education Icon Award.

Echono, while applauding President Bola Tinubu’s administration for initiating impactful policies in the education sector, stressed that the fund remains committed to fulfilling its responsibilities.

“Despite the odds and the challenges, products of our education system are not pushovers.

“They can compete with their peers globally. Now, we have a number of our youths working for multinational companies while in the comfort of their homes in Nigeria.

“Nigeria is gradually becoming a hub for skilled labour that people across the world are seeking.

“While we have a youthful population, many of the advanced nations are experiencing declining or stagnant populations. Many of those countries have an aging population, and they need skilled, youthful labour to replenish their populations. That is why education is vital. I must commend the administration of President Bola Tinubu for some policies that are changing the face of the sector for good.

Echono noted that TETFund has provided support to over 40,000 individuals to pursue postgraduate studies, both within and outside Nigeria.

“In TETFund, we have supported over 40,000 people to do postgraduate programmes both locally and abroad. In order not to allow for any gap between the facilities where those sent abroad are trained and what we have here, we are investing heavily in upgrading facilities on our campuses.

He added that the Fund is making sure that all projects are finished promptly to avoid rising costs caused by inflation.

“We are also ensuring that projects are completed as soon as possible because we don’t want inflation to catch up with the costs of those projects. Monitoring has been further strengthened. The impact of TETFund on our campuses can be seen by all,” he said.

When asked if the Fund is overwhelmed by the growing number of public tertiary institutions, Echono explained that the efficient use of available funds is their top priority.

“We get more institutions to care for, and also we get more resources too from the increase in education tax. But more importantly, we are managing well the resources at our disposal,” he explained.

Echono dedicated his award to President Tinubu, the Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa, and the TETFund team, saying it motivates them to strive harder.

“While dedicating the award to President Tinubu, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, staff and management of the Fund,” Echono expressed that the recognition will serve as inspiration for greater efforts, acknowledging that “to whom much is given, much is expected.”

He emphasized that TETFund is working on lasting projects that will redefine the physical outlook of higher education institutions in Nigeria and called on institutional leaders to support their smooth implementation.

He further stated that legacy projects that would change the landscape of Nigeria’s tertiary institutions would be executed by the Fund and solicited the support of the management of such institutions to ensure seamless execution of the projects.