The Role of Teachers in Transforming Nigeria: Challenges and the Way Forward

The paper sought to explicate the role of teachers in transforming Nigeria. It viewed teachers as professionally trained personnel charged with the responsibility of disseminating positive knowledge, attitudes and skills to learners in the school. Transformation on the other hand involves a shift in our orientation in such a way that new actions and results become possible. The analysis established that teachers serve as role models to their learners. Through this, the character and personality of the learners are moulded in the right direction which leads them to their final destinations. Nigerian teachers are saddled with the onus of differentiating their learners on the basis of their intellectual and social sophistication in preparation for occupational and social transformation of the society. Again, for National transformation to flourish, the society must be prosperous in knowledge which is often sought and acquired through the teachers. Although teachers play a cardinal role in the transformation of the society, they are be set with bottle-necks among which are; lack of recognition in the society, miserable economic conditions and inadequate teaching and learning facilities. It was concluded that if at all there is any hope for transforming the society, the key lies in the hands of teachers. It was recommended that society members should look at teachers with additional respect in societal life and teachers from primary to tertiary institutions should come under one umbrella namely, Nigeria Association of Teachers.

Keywords: teachers, challenges, Nigeria, social transformation