The Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Sonny Echono, has emphasised the need for the country’s tertiary institutions to evolve into innovation hubs, while also producing skilled manpower for national development.

Echono, who stated this at a meeting of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of Nigerian Federal Universities during a knowledge-sharing programme titled: ‘Re-thinking governance models for innovation, growth, and resilience in Nigerian Universities,’ noted that education and research are vital tools for nation-building and sustainable development.

He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to fostering a culture of research, entrepreneurship, problem-solving, and technological advancement in the nation’s higher institutions.

He, however, acknowledged the difficulties universities face in achieving these goals, due to inadequate human and material resources.

While recognising the challenges of public funding, he urged universities to proactively explore alternative revenue sources, stressing that governing councils must support such initiatives to ensure sustainability.

He said: “The smooth running of universities also requires the availability of both human and material resources. Public universities suffer from over-dependence on government funding. Therefore, universities are supposed to seek other sources of revenue, and their councils should support such initiatives.”

Echono also highlighted governance challenges within the university system, including frequent power tussles between management and governing councils.

He noted that such disagreements often derail the focus of university administration and must be addressed through strict adherence to legal frameworks.

He warned that attempts to impose candidates based on loyalty undermine the integrity of the academic system.

“Respecting the laws that govern the university system is the way out. We have an enabling law, and every university has its own Establishment Law. If we follow the laws strictly and entrench merit in all we do, there won’t be friction,” he said.

He urged both managements and councils to stick strictly to their statutory responsibilities to minimise friction and ensure efficient governance.

On TETFund’s role in academic capacity building, he disclosed that over 42,000 lecturers have so far benefited from the Fund’s sponsorship to pursue Master’s and Doctoral degrees, both within and outside the country.