News

TETFund Boss Echono Bags PhD in Public Governance and Leadership

Published

3 months ago

July 18, 2025

The Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Sonny Echono, has been awarded a doctoral degree in Public Governance and Leadership by the Abuja Leadership Center (ALC) at the University of Abuja.

Echono’s academic achievement follows his successful thesis defense on July 18, 2025, fulfilling the requirements for the doctorate programme.

After the thesis defense and the conferment of the doctoral degree, Prof. Philip Dahida, the Director of the Center, commended Echono for his excellent presentation, courage, and relentless effort in navigating the challenges of the doctorate programme despite his busy schedule as a public office holder in Nigeria.

Prof. Dahida praised the Post Graduate School of the university, as well as the external and internal examiners, and the staff of the Center. He assured everyone of the institute’s commitment to equip the elite and ruling class in the country with essential knowledge in governance, leadership, and policy.

“I congratulate the Executive Secretary of TETFund for demonstrating excellence and successfully defending his research work. He has shown capacity and dedication, even amidst the sensitive and demanding position he holds in the country,” said Prof. Dahida.

He further commended the leadership of the Post Graduate School, both internal and external examiners, and the entire staff of the Center for their roles in making this achievement possible. “Rest assured, the Abuja Leadership Center is committed to supporting high-profile candidates and helping them achieve their best through education. Our doors are open as we continue to advance education among the elite and ruling class,” he added.

In response to receiving the doctorate award, Echono expressed gratitude to the institution for fulfilling its mandate of enhancing the knowledge base of citizens. He revealed that the knowledge acquired from the doctorate programme is critical in addressing issues related to the selection processes in universities, which have become significant sources of conflict across the country.

Echono urged those in leadership positions, especially in the public sector, to be transparent and inclusive in their decision-making, while stating that his research is relevant to moving the nation forward.

“The surest way to create a better country and university system for young people is to prioritize public interest over personal ambitions and short-term goals,” he emphasized.

He stated, “The knowledge I’ve gained during my research is directly relevant to the selection processes, which have caused conflicts between governing councils and university administrations, as well as between ministries and governing bodies. There persist issues of localization and the influence of politics and nepotism. By implementing a transparent and accountable template that involves stakeholders, while also incorporating checks and balances and rewarding performance, we can make progress.”

Echono further noted that applying this knowledge can enhance university rankings, allowing institutions to become globally relevant and better equipped to fill skills gaps. This, in turn, would produce graduates who are employable or capable of creating jobs.

“For our leaders, it is crucial to adopt a more transparent and inclusive approach—engaging everyone in decision-making processes. Leaders should consider long-term interests rather than personal or short-term gains. If we implement these changes, we will build a better country and university system that our youth can be proud to inherit,” Echono concluded.

Share on Facebook

News

Tin City Warms Up for President Tinubu as North Central Embraces Renewed Hope

Published

1 day ago

October 4, 2025

The Gleamer

By Sunday Dare

When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu berths on the plains and rolling hills that dominate the Jos landscape tomorrow, he will meet a people resourceful, friendly and resilient but weighed down by conflict, yet unbowed by adversity.

So, tommorrow, national attention turns to the Plateau- a locale laden with history and rich with potential. From the tin mines that gave the city of Jos its name, to the Irish potato, strawberry farms and beetroot plantations that dot its landscape, Jos remains a land of promise—truly the Home of Peace and Tourism.

Jos is also deeply woven into Nigeria’s political history. Plateau is home to towering figures such as Generals JD Gomwalk, Yakubu Gowon, John Shagaya, Joshua Dogoyaro, and Jerry Useni. Solomon Lar, Senator Ibrahim Mantu and numerous others also stand tall in the annals Plateau political history.

Jos was also the rallying ground of the famed Langtang Mafia—a group of influential military officers from Langtang in Plateau State who, at the height of their power, played a significant role in Nigeria’s political and military affairs.

The story of Jos is both exciting and excruciating. The city lost its innocence some two and a half decades ago, when the popular Terminus Market was reduced to rubble through acts of arson and looting.

Thus at the turn of the millennium by 2001, Jos—and by extension, Plateau—was thrown into a cycle of unending conflict. Ethnic tensions, clothed in religious garb, tore through the city and spread across the state, dragging Jos into an abyss of violence, almost of Kigali proportions. Peace gave way to war, and tourism jaunts became undertakings to the undertaker.

Yet Jos has never surrendered. Every time it is written off, it rises again—scarred, but resilient. With its multi-ethnic, multi-religious fabric, the Plateau continues to trudge on in pursuit of peace, development, and egalitarian ideals.

It was here, in Jos, that Nigeria’s democratic resurgence was birthed. The historic SDP convention, where late General Shehu Yar’Adua and Chief Moshood Abiola held sway, took place in this city. Jos gave political life to Abiola, our hero of democracy in 1992

Now, thirty three years later, another hero of democracy and of the June 12 struggle returns to the Plateau. President Tinubu’s return and visit to Plateau State is not just to honor the transition to glory of Nana Lydia Yilwatda, the mother of the APC National Chairman.

It is a visit that carries deeper meaning—one of empathy, solidarity, and renewed hope for a people who have endured decades of turmoil. It is a mission to preach peace, console the bereaved, bind wounds, and assure Plateau of its central place in the Nigerian project.

Mr President comes not just to mourn, but to reconnect. He comes to parley with the North Central, to commiserate with a people who have suffered, and to extend the hand of renewed hope. That Renewed Hope is laying a solid foundation as evidenced by Naira at N1,455 per dollar, rising Foreign Reserves at $43bn, Trade surplus heading for N25tr. Revenues up 411% and Inflation down to about 20 per cent. Over 600,000 students benefiting from NELFUND.

This visit is more than ceremonial. It is a journey into the very soul of a people who have known pain, yet remain resilient; a land scarred by conflict, yet still brimming with hope and promise. As the Tin City opens its arms, Jos will not just receive the President—it will receive a message of solidarity, healing, and renewal.

Tomorrow is about remembering the glorious past, confronting the present, and charting a path to a peaceful and prosperous Plateau within a united Nigeria. With President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Jos once again stands at the intersection of history and destiny.

Share on Facebook