By Eniola Olakunri

Thursday, June 18, 2026, will remain etched in the memory of many who gathered at the Abuja Leadership Centre of Excellence, Yakubu Gowon University (formerly the University of Abuja). It was the day the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Architect Sonny S. T. Echono, PhD, OON, FNIA, transformed a hall filled with professors, academics, university administrators, students and education stakeholders into a classroom.

For nearly two hours, the accomplished administrator, scholar and public servant held his audience spellbound as he delivered a public lecture based on his doctoral thesis titled “Leadership Selection Process and Governance of Federal Universities in Nigeria (1993–2024).”

What unfolded was not merely an academic presentation. It was an intellectual excursion into the evolution, decline, challenges and prospects of university governance in Nigeria. By the time he concluded, many in attendance had been reminded that learning never truly ends, regardless of one’s title or status.

Drawing from an extensive three-year study covering twenty federal universities across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, Echono carefully traced the history of leadership selection in Nigerian universities from the post-independence era to the present day. He contrasted the ideals that once guided the appointment of Vice-Chancellors with contemporary realities where nepotism, political patronage, ethnicity, religious considerations, cronyism and sectional interests increasingly influence leadership choices.

Quoting extensively from scholarly authorities and empirical evidence, he noted that Nigeria inherited one of Africa’s most robust university systems at independence in 1960. However, decades of systemic challenges have gradually eroded that enviable position.

According to him, the decline in tertiary education has been driven by several factors, including poor funding, inadequate infrastructure, brain drain, insufficient capacity development for academic staff, incessant industrial disputes, institutional corruption, politicisation of university administration, weak governance structures, poor internally generated revenue, insecurity and the limited autonomy enjoyed by institutions.

Standing before a packed audience comprising scholars, students, policy experts, education administrators, researchers, development practitioners and members of the media, Echono lamented that despite possessing one of the world’s largest youth populations, Nigeria currently ranks 23rd in Africa and 191st globally in educational advancement.

The youthful population, which should ordinarily constitute a strategic advantage for national development, has unfortunately not translated into corresponding gains in human capital development and educational competitiveness.

In his assessment, the underperformance of Nigerian universities is attributable, in large measure, to ineffective and inefficient governance structures.

At the heart of his lecture was a compelling argument for a more transparent, merit-driven and accountable process for selecting university leaders.

Echono recalled that Nigeria once deliberately appointed Vice-Chancellors outside their states of origin as a means of promoting national integration, broadening perspectives and reducing ethnic considerations.

That noble tradition, he observed, has gradually been eroded by an increasing preference for local affiliations, ethnic considerations, and political connections. As a result, the once broad and competitive talent pool available to universities has been significantly narrowed, depriving institutions of the best minds regardless of origin. According to him, this trend has not only weakened the quality of leadership and decision-making within the university system but has also undermined institutional governance, excellence, and the meritocratic ideals upon which great universities are built.

He further argued that universities where leadership appointments are conducted in a transparent, competitive and merit-driven manner are better positioned to realise their academic mandate, command public trust and nurture a culture of excellence. Such institutions, he noted, are able to attract and retain the best talents, promote accountability and sustain high standards in teaching, research and community service.

The Executive Secretary averred that leaders who emerge through credible and fair selection processes are more likely to provide visionary leadership, encourage groundbreaking research, foster innovation, strengthen scholarly collaboration and build productive partnerships across disciplines and institutions. They are also better equipped to ensure prudent financial management, enhance institutional stability and create an environment where academic excellence can flourish.

To support his position, he cited examples from the National Research Fund (NRF) grant cycles. The Federal Universities of Technology in Minna and Owerri secured first and second positions respectively in the 2025 NRF awards with 18 and 11 grants, while the Federal University of Technology, Akure, recorded 12 awards in the 2024 cycle. Such achievements, he argued, underscore the transformative impact of effective institutional leadership.

When a Professor Became a Student Again

Perhaps one of the most memorable moments of the event occurred midway through the lecture.

As this writer became increasingly convinced that the presentation deserved wider public dissemination, a comment from within the audience further reinforced that conviction.

“This is material for a convocation lecture,” someone remarked.

Curious, he sought out the speaker, who turned out to be Professor Olympus Ejue of the Theatre Arts Department.

Professor Ejue was unequivocal in his assessment.

“Most of the things he has said in this lecture should be presented as a convocation lecture where all of us can gather and learn from it. This is more or less a select audience, and many more people need to benefit from the ideas he has propounded.”

He continued:

“Even many professors know very little about university administration. With this kind of lecture, I will go back and study it carefully. It will certainly help me as I aspire to other leadership positions within the university system. It is a very rich lecture.”

His sentiments appeared to resonate across the hall.
Repeated bursts of applause punctuated the lecture, reflecting the audience’s appreciation of both the substance and delivery of the presentation.

Prescriptions for Reform

Having diagnosed many of the challenges confronting university governance, Echono proceeded to offer practical recommendations.

Among them were:

Digital Tools

Adoption of electronic voting systems and online application platforms to improve transparency and fairness in leadership selection processes.
Public Engagement

Organisation of virtual town halls and public presentation of selection outcomes and findings to promote accountability.

Independent Audits

Periodic external reviews of leadership selection processes to ensure compliance with regulations and best practices.

Feedback Mechanisms

Establishment of clear and accessible channels through which stakeholders can report grievances and raise concerns.

Experts Echo the Concerns

During the panel discussion that followed, university administrators and governance experts strongly endorsed the key findings of Echono’s research.

The discussions highlighted growing concerns about the increasing politicisation of university leadership appointments.

The Vice-Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University, Professor Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi, warned that governing councils were gradually transforming Vice-Chancellor appointments into political contests.
He argued that university leadership must return to foundations rooted in integrity, merit, competence and institutional values.

Panelists also lamented the abandonment of the long-standing practice of appointing Vice-Chancellors outside their states of origin. According to them, selecting leaders primarily on the basis of ethnic affinity and local political considerations inevitably narrows the talent pool and undermines institutional effectiveness.

Other recommendations included a review of the powers and responsibilities of Pro-Chancellors, who chair governing councils and often exercise considerable influence over selection processes.

The experts also called for more inclusive search committees comprising representatives of faculty, students, alumni and industry stakeholders to ensure broader participation and greater transparency.

The Director of the Abuja Leadership Centre, Professor Abdulhamid Ozohu-Suleiman, reaffirmed the Centre’s commitment to promoting evidence-based governance reforms capable of restoring credibility and excellence to Nigeria’s higher education system.

A Visiting Scholar — On the Spot

If there was any iota of doubt about the impact of the lecture, the response of the University’s Vice-Chancellor quickly dispelled it.

So impressed was he by the quality, depth and scholarly rigour of the presentation that he immediately appointed Architect Echono a Visiting Scholar of the institution.

More remarkably, he assured the TETFund Executive Secretary that an office would always be available for him on campus whenever he wished to return to engage students, scholars and administrators in further intellectual discourse.

It was a fitting recognition of a man whose influence now extends far beyond the administrative corridors of TETFund.

The Beautiful Bride of Nigerian Higher Education

Indeed, Architect Sonny Echono has increasingly become the beautiful bride of Nigeria’s tertiary education community.

Universities across the country appear eager to associate with him and benefit from his vast reservoir of knowledge and experience.

Only a few weeks earlier, while delivering a keynote lecture titled “Driving National Development Through Research and Innovation” during the 65th anniversary celebrations of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire, proudly described him as “our own.”

The admiration was not limited to university management. Student representatives and faculty members alike took turns celebrating his contributions to higher education development.

Little wonder many would love to be Architect Sonny S. T. Echono today.

Yet admiration alone does not produce excellence.

Few can match the combination of intellectual rigour, administrative competence, professional discipline, strategic vision, scholarly depth, courage of conviction and decades of experience that have distinguished his career.

Some qualities simply cannot be borrowed.

They must be earned.

And Architect Sonny S. T. Echono has undoubtedly earned his place among the most influential figures in contemporary Nigerian higher education.

*Eniola Olakunri, Public Sector Analyst and CEO of Write Affairs, writes from Abuja.