Monday, February 24, 2025 - The Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Sonny Echono, on Saturday urged both federal and state governments to grant full autonomy to universities.
Mr Echono made the call during a convocation lecture titled, ‘University
Autonomy and the Challenge of Quality Tertiary Education in Nigeria,’ held at
the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti.
He stated that universities, as ivory towers, have three core mandates:
teaching, research, and community service.
These roles, according to him, required a level of independence to
function effectively.
The TETFUND executive secretary argued that to carry out their
functions, both federal and state-owned universities must be granted full
autonomy, allowing them greater operational freedom.
Echono explained that university autonomy and academic freedom were
separate but fundamental aspects of university operations, crucial for
maintaining quality education and fostering academic growth.
He highlighted that the government’s current policy on university
autonomy did not fully guarantee freedom, as it retained ultimate control
through university governing councils.
Echono urged the Federal Government to grant universities more autonomy
to enhance infrastructure and foster collaboration with industries, alumni, and
other educational institutions.
He emphasised that autonomy enables universities to build stronger networks, improve infrastructure, and collaborate globally tTETFUND seeks full implementation of university autonomy act 2007
o exchange ideas,
experiences, and best practices in education.
He stated, “University autonomy also provides opportunities for global
collaboration, allowing universities to share ideas, research, and effective
teaching methods, benefiting the learning process.’’
Echono added that university autonomy would lead to enhanced operational
efficiency and improved performance, ultimately fostering the development of
quality education for national growth.
In a remark, the Vice-Chancellor of Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Prof.
Abayomi Fasina, commended the guest speaker at the university’s 9th convocation
ceremony.
He expressed gratitude to TETFUND for its continued support in promoting
the university’s development, despite economic challenges.
He assured university stakeholders of his administration’s commitment to
improving and promoting quality education at the institution.
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