Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, has revealed that his love for teaching was ignited by an encounter he had with Professor Akin Oyebode.

Osinbajo however added that he made the decision to go into the profession, as a result of the impact, the University of Lagos had on him.

Speaking on Wednesday, at the home coming reception and recognition award held in his honour, Osinbajo said the institution defined his life in many ways.

Osinbajo said: “The importance of good teaching can never be overemphasized as that was what made me become a teacher. I remember one evening of 1977 when I walked into a jurisprudence class and that was my first time of meeting Dr. Akin Oyebode, now a professor.

He was teaching on the sociological school and did so without any prepared notes, though he later told me he had cue cards which I don’t remember seeing.”

“Dr. Oyebode taught the for over one and a half hours on the sociological school of jurisprudence, and by the time he was through, I made up my mind that I would teach law and that is the inspiration that led me to teaching four years later.”

“The University of Lagos has defined my life in so many ways and that is why I decided to become a teacher. Even today, the first thing that is known about me is that I am a university teacher.

“This is the great inspiration that should be drawn from varsities which must continue to be places of ideas as the future of communities and the nation depends on the thinking of those in universities.

For this to be achieved, we have to make these varsities comfortable enough for the great minds to continue to grow and come up with great ideas that would benefit the economy.”

Kolapo Olapoju