LASUED Holds 3rd Distinguished Lecture on Strengthening Teacher Preparation

Lagos State University of Education (LASUED) held its 3rd Distinguished Lecture Series on Monday 4th April, 2026, at the Oluremi Tinubu Hall, Oto/Ijanikin Main Campus.

The lecture, themed “Strengthening Teacher Preparation in Nigeria: Admission and Content Consolidation,” brought together education stakeholders to discuss ways to improve teacher education in the country.

Speaking at the event, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Bidemi Bilkis Lafiaji-Okuneye, described the lecture as a significant moment for reflection, policy engagement, and renewed commitment to Nigeria’s educational future.

She emphasized that the theme was timely and important, highlighting that the concern is not only the number of teachers Nigeria needs but the quality of teachers demanded in the future.

According to her, admission forms the foundation of quality teacher preparation, while content consolidation ensures proper alignment of subject knowledge, pedagogy, values, practicum, digital competence, and assessment.

“When admission is weak, quality suffers from the start. When content is fragmented, competence becomes uneven. When both are strong, teacher preparation can drive national renewal,” she stated.

Professor Lafiaji-Okuneye added that Nigeria must produce teachers who are knowledgeable, competent, innovative, ethically grounded, and socially responsive.

Delivering the distinguished lecture, the Registrar and Chief Executive of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Emeritus Is-haq Olanrewaju Oloyede, said that teacher preparation in Nigeria cannot be strengthened unless admission and content consolidation are addressed simultaneously.

He noted that teacher education faces challenges such as poor attractiveness, weak admission processes, curriculum fragmentation, and institutional ambiguity among Colleges of Education, Universities of Education, Faculties of Education, regulators, and licensing bodies.

Professor Oloyede stated that many candidates often enter teacher education as a last resort after failing to gain admission to preferred courses, a situation that continues to weaken motivation and commitment to the teaching profession.

He identified main weaknesses in admission as motivational distortion, uniform entry requirements, low prestige, and inadequate screening for teaching disposition.

He called for aptitude testing, communication skill assessment, ethical maturity, and commitment in selecting teacher education candidates, emphasizing that admission determines who enters the profession, and content shapes the kind of teacher that emerges.

Chairing the event, Hon. Adeboye Paul Kalejaiye, a Member of the Federal House of Representatives representing Ajeromi/Ifelodun Federal Constituency, praised the Vice-Chancellor for her visionary leadership.

Hon. Kalejaiye, an alumnus of the institution’s legacy college, expressed his honor to chair the occasion and urged students to elevate the teaching profession to greater heights.EMERTUSE