Abstract: This study investigates and analyzed students perceptions of effective teaching and the characteristics of an effective lecturer at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. The underlying objectives are to identify the critical elements that make teaching effective and the qualities in lecturers which the students prefer help faculties members in the University of Ibadan and other universities with limited teaching experience gain valuable insights into improving their teaching effectiveness and emphasize to lecturers that they can influence students learning by their teaching approach and characters. The study is also intended to contribute to the growing literature on effective teaching methodologies and lecturer characteristics. The investigation/analysis explores 35 critical teaching effectiveness elements organized into five major sub-headings including analytical/synthetic approach, organization/clarity of teaching, lecturer-group interactions, lecturer-individual student interaction and dynamism/enthusiasm of the lecturer and 17 typical characteristics of a typical effective teacher. Participants for the study were selected through purposive and yet random methods from seven purposefully chosen faculties in the University involving second year undergraduate students through to the master’s degree students. Questionnaires are used as instrument and are distributed to all sampled students. From the analysis, it is clear that students always want their learning needs to be met. As such they know and can identify effective teaching whenever they are taught as well as desire some attributes from lecturers that make them effective lecturers. This therefore implies that effective teaching requires a lecturer to strike a good balance between his teaching methodology and his personality characteristics.