The Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Arc. Sonny Echono, PhD, has been honoured with an Award of Excellence by the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) for his contributions to the development of education and for distinguishing himself as an alumnus of the institution.

Echono received the award from the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, at an honours ceremony organised to recognise distinguished alumni of the institution.

The TETFund executive secretary also chaired the programme, which brought together members of the university community, distinguished alumni and other stakeholders to celebrate individuals whose careers and public service have reflected positively on the institution.

The recognition of Echono adds his name to a growing list of UNILORIN alumni who have attained prominence in public service, politics, academia, media, security and other spheres of national life.

The university’s decision to honour its alumni is also seen as part of its effort to celebrate the contributions of its graduates while strengthening the bond between the institution and those who have passed through its classrooms.

Among those honoured by the university last year were the immediate past Governor of Kwara State, Dr Abdulfatai Ahmed, CON; Senator representing Oyo North Senatorial District, Abdulfatai Omotayo Buhari, PhD; renowned media practitioner, poet and scholar, Prof. Tunde Olusunle; and the Managing Director of THISDAY Newspapers and Arise Television, Eniola Bello, FNGE.

Others selected for honours last year included the former Deputy Director-General of the Nigerian Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Agev Apollos Dem, MFR; former Force Secretary and Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Mrs Rhoda Olofu; and the immediate past Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Lokoja (FUL), Prof. Yemi Akinwumi, FHSN.

Also recognised was the immediate past Registrar and Chief Executive of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Emeritus Prof. Is-haq Olanrewaju Oloyede, CON.

Oloyede occupies a particularly significant place in the history of the university, having graduated from UNILORIN and later becoming the first graduate of the institution to serve as its Vice-Chancellor.

The honours, therefore, go beyond individual recognition to underline the university’s role in producing graduates who have gone on to occupy influential positions and make contributions across different sectors of the Nigerian society.

For Echono, his recognition comes against the backdrop of his role at the helm of TETFund, the federal government’s principal intervention agency for public tertiary institutions.

Through its interventions in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, TETFund has remained central to efforts to address infrastructure deficits, support academic development, improve research capacity and strengthen teaching and learning in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.

Echono’s career in public service has similarly spanned several areas of administration and education, culminating in his leadership of an agency with a significant mandate in Nigeria’s tertiary education system.

The ceremony provided an opportunity for the university to acknowledge such contributions while reinforcing the importance of alumni in the continuing development and reputation of their alma mater.

Receiving the Award of Excellence, Echono was celebrated alongside other notable products of the institution whose professional journeys have extended the influence of UNILORIN beyond its campuses.

The university’s recognition of its distinguished alumni also underscores the enduring relationship between institutions of higher learning and their graduates, particularly at a time when universities increasingly look to their alumni for support, mentorship, advocacy and institutional development.

With the latest honours, UNILORIN continues to place its distinguished graduates at the centre of its institutional history, celebrating not only the positions they have attained but also the impact of their contributions to national development.