OAU has fulfilled founding fathers’ vision, says TETFund boss

Sonny Echono, the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), has declared that Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, has successfully lived up to the ideals of its founders by cultivating experts across various fields. Echono made these remarks while delivering a lecture commemorating OAU's 65th anniversary.

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The Great Ife has remained a symbol of commitment and purposeful leadership. Expectedly, the university has lived to the ideals of its founding fathers as the breeding ground for erudite scholars, legal luminaries, successful businessmen, diplomats, accomplished technocrats and administrators, including its legion of Nigerian National Merit Award Winners, who are contributing to national development, and have continued to uphold the reputation of the university.

Echono lauded the university's legacy, stating that "The Great Ife has remained a symbol of commitment and purposeful leadership." He noted that OAU has consistently served as a breeding ground for erudite scholars, legal luminaries, successful businessmen, diplomats, and accomplished technocrats, many of whom are Nigerian National Merit Award winners contributing significantly to national development and upholding the university's reputation.

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Research and innovation remain key drivers of national development. Nations that have achieved sustained economic growth and technological advancement have done so through deliberate investment in knowledge generation, scientific inquiry, and practical innovation.

Addressing the critical role of research and innovation, Echono emphasized that these are key drivers of national development. He pointed out that nations achieving sustained economic growth and technological advancement have done so through deliberate investment in knowledge generation, scientific inquiry, and practical innovation. In today's global economy, Echono stated, development is less dependent on natural resources and more on the capacity to create, apply, and commercialize knowledge.

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In today’s global economy, development does not depend on natural resources but on the capacity to create, apply, and commercialize knowledge. Nigeria’s developmental challenges, though significant, also present opportunities for innovation-driven transformation.

Echono urged for sustained investment in research and innovation systems tailored to generate practical solutions for Nigeria's specific challenges. He believes that addressing issues such as unemployment, insecurity, hunger, healthcare limitations, industrial underdevelopment, and technological dependence requires such targeted innovation. He also commended President Bola Tinubu for prioritizing research and innovation aimed at solving the country's unique problems, stressing the need for deliberate efforts to build a functional, innovation-driven economy.

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Addressing issues such as unemployment, insecurity, hunger, healthcare limitations, industrial underdevelopment, and technological dependence requires sustained investment in research and innovation systems that generate practical solutions suited to local realities.