TETfund boss harps on production of quality teachers

The Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Dr. Abdullahi Bichi Baffa has called on members of academic staff in various tertiary institutions in the country to embrace the qualities of a good teacher.

He gave the advice during the eighth convocation lecture and commissioning of the new Academic Complex at the Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Ijagun in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, which was sponsored by agency.

The lecture was delivered by the former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Peter Okebukola at the main campus of the university.

Baffa, who explained that being a good teacher, is a prerequisite to becoming a good lecturer anywhere in the world, however, lauded the management of the institution as well as the convocation lecturer for restoring the culture of liberal intellectual discourse where the audience were given the opportunity to make contributions, ask questions, bring up diverse ideas and opinions on the topic of the lecture.

While urging other institutions to borrow a leave from such commendable action, he said: “I have attended so many convocation lectures, where the lecturers enjoyed immunity as nobody asked him or her any question.

So, the lecturer will come and say whatever he or she wants, and then leave without any challenge, without any criticism, and without any contribution.

“Such lecture is against the spirit of the liberal intellectual tradition that allows for debate, conversation that allows for intellectual intercourse so that knowledge can germinate and grow, and so that more knowledge could be able to grow and be expanded.

So, I want to congratulate the Vice-Chancellor for allowing the true tradition to succeed in TASUED.” Baffa also told the gathering that the dream of Nigeria becoming one of the key players in global competitiveness is hinged on the level of human capital resource at her disposal but wondered which sector will lead the way if not the education sector, especially universities.

He drew the attention of the audience and the management of the university to the institution’s mission statement, pointing out that his worries is in the area of training people with the capacity to compete globally.