Otamere Gladness 
TETFund Executive Secretary, Arc. Sonny Echono
ABUJA, Nigeria – Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Arc. Sonny Echono, has called for a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s education system to better prepare graduates for the contemporary workforce and address rising youth unemployment.
Speaking at the 13th convocation lecture of Nile University in Abuja on Tuesday, Echono stressed that reforms must align curricula, teaching, and institutional priorities with 21st-century economic realities.
The lecture, titled “Redefining the Nigerian Education System for the 21st Century Workforce,” emphasised the urgent need for universities to bridge gaps between theoretical knowledge and practical skills. “Education must focus on access, quality, and measurable outcomes,” Echono said. “Our graduates should acquire skills for national and individual efficiency, technological innovation, and sustainable growth.”
Echono traced Nigeria’s education evolution, noting the inadequacy of colonial-era structures post-independence, and outlined the persistent challenges that continue to hinder progress: insufficient funding, outdated curricula, irregular teacher salaries, policy inconsistency, and poor infrastructure.
He stressed that tertiary institutions must respond to societal needs through workforce-oriented programmes, skill acquisition, and research-led innovation.
He praised Nile University’s leadership for demonstrating visionary management, discipline, and integrity, describing their achievements as a benchmark for institutional development. “This milestone reflects what is possible when vision and commitment guide education,” he said.
The TETFund chief urged government and private sector collaboration to modernise education, arguing that sustainable nation-building hinges on producing employable, socially conscious graduates. “Without practical, quality education, national development goals will remain aspirational,” he added.
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Oluwatobi Adu 
Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 
Koko Maxwella 