I am greatly honoured to have been given this unique opportunity to deliver today my inaugural lecture. An inaugural lecture is an initiation ceremony. The idea is that a new appointment to a chair must be accompanied by an inaugural ceremony during which the new professor makes a vow to his profession by giving an inaugural address.

A search through the records of this University reveals that I am one of the lucky ones to be given the opportunity to deliver his inaugural lecture barely three years of my appointment as Professor of Educational Psychology.  I am happy to come from the Faculty of Education to join the rank of professors who have been privileged to give their inaugural lectures.  This inaugural lecture is coming as the seventh from the Faculty of Education.

Today, I stand before you to speak about an issue of contemporary interest and concern.  This issue is very central to the process of teaching and learning and the overall educational development of Nigeria.  Simply put, both teaching and learning depend on teachers, for there can be no meaningful socio-economic and political development in any society without teachers.  Upon their number, their quality and their devotion, rest the effectiveness of all educational arrangements.  Even with the best of educational policy and design and the expenditure of colossal sums of money for education, the ultimate realisation of any set of aims for education depends on the TEACHER, as he will ultimately be responsible for translating policy into action and principles into
practice in his interactions with his students. Mr. Vice-Chancellor Sir, I have therefore titled my lecture, “REFLECTIONS ON BECOMING A TEACHER AND THE CHALLENGES OF TEACHER EDUCATION”.