The Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Mr Sonny Echono, has bagged an award of a Fellow of the Nigerian Association for Educational Administration and Planning (NAEP).

The award came barely 24 hours after receiving the National Honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) from President Muhammadu Buhari.

At the investiture on Wednesday in Abuja, the National President of NAEP, Prof. Hauwa Imam, said the award was in recognition of Echono’s track record of leadership in the education sector, quality assurance and service delivery in Nigeria.

Imam said other distinguished administrators in the education sector were also awarded fellowship to encourage excellence in policy implementation.

She explained that the programme was organised to enable scholars and practitioners fashion out new strategies for effective policy implementation

“Over the years, the education system has been plagued by problem, not because of the absence of good policies, but the implementation of the policy,” she said.

Responding, Echono said the fellowship was a worthy recognition of efforts to restore a culture of planning in the general administration of the education sector.

According to him, the fellowship is a worthy recognition of the effort one is able to make in the sector by working hard to restore the culture of planning, not just in terms of curriculum and delivery system but also in the general organisation of the educational sector.

Echono said the new career path policy approved by the Federal Government made it compulsory for those who aspire to be administrators of educational institutions to possess the necessary professional exposure and registration.

“We also believe that those entrusted with responsibility for administering our institutions should not only have academic qualification but also have professional knowledge and skills.

“They should also continually develop themselves, to horn this skills, imbibe good practices, improve accountability prudence and judicious use of resources at their disposal,” he said.