In Nigeria today, there are some courses that parents would love to see their children study and career path that everybody would envy. Most do it because they believe they stand a better chance at employment now that the country has not too good a story to tell about the rate of unemployment.
Any parent would be glad to know his/her ward has chosen Engineering, Medicine, Pharmacy and others in that category. It is only few people that have realized or are realizing that there are some courses that don’t have much people studying them simply because they have been deemed not lucrative. Hence, the country is now scanty of specialists or experts in those courses. Other courses are there but are cast in the background because it is said that students are in this department out of desperation or the institution forced it on them. Let us take a look at six out of the many courses that could fall into this category arranged in no particular order.
Estate Management:
A degree in estate management prepares you for work in the property sector, not just that, it also equips you with highly desirable and transferable commerce and business skills. Graduates of estate management can be employed by global property firms with interests in building surveying, corporate property, and investment, planning and development and residential work. Also medium-sized companies and consultancies require the expertise of an Estate manager. Some graduates choose to specialize in a particular area of estate management, for example, undergoing postgraduate courses in property development, property investment, surveying, real estate management, environmental conservation for the heritage sector, planning and environment, and town and country planning amongst others.
For the serious minded and career oriented ones, one can also opt for options that include postgraduate studies in banking or finance to enhance their knowledge. It is also possible to undertake further vocational training, for example in law.
Fishery and Aquaculture: This course is an agricultural course – it is not just about farming fish. It is about farming aquatic plants, creatures and organisms such as prawns, shrimps, oysters, mussels, etc. As the world grows richer and its population grows larger, it will need more protein – and fish are a highly nutritious source of protein, vitamins and minerals. The world’s wild fish cannot supply this rising demand so aquaculture is a rapidly growing and increasingly important industry to venture into. Aquaculture and fishery management can be studied as a major degree or a foundation degree, and also as a Higher National Diploma. Some of the topics are included in specialist biology and zoology degree courses. For those that intend to be self employed, this course is the perfect course as it is highly lucrative.
Statistics: A branch of Mathematics that is considered inferior to the rest of the mathematical sciences which are Mathematics and Computer Science. Statisticians are more or less analysts and what organization, company, parastatal be it public or private does not need an analyst.There are a handful of statisticians the market and the economy is in need of several of them. Of course the pay is high for a job with few experts. One can proceed with graduate programmes to have an area of specialization. For example, graduates who have taken statistics alongside finance and
economics, who are working in areas such as risk analytics, marketing insights, and investment analysis, are in some of the best paying and most prestigious roles in banks and financial institutions.
economics, who are working in areas such as risk analytics, marketing insights, and investment analysis, are in some of the best paying and most prestigious roles in banks and financial institutions.
Quantity Surveying: This course is popular somehow but not in the caliber of Medicine and other Engineering courses. Quantity surveying is primarily centred on construction and the management of the costs and budgets of large projects. The course is in a way inter related with Estate management in that it deals with buildings, and even estates. With a qualification in quantity surveying, career possibilities include contracting or private quantity surveying, building surveying, construction management or consultancy, accountancy and financial services management or estate management. International opportunities may also be possible within the field.
Agricultural Courses: This should rank No 1, if a particular arrangement was being followed. In Nigeria today, asides from oil, Agric. is the next alternative to improving the economy. There are several agric oriented courses in universities now: Animal Breeding, Animal nutrition, Animal Physiology, Crop Production and so on. These courses if put into practice are highly lucrative because food is an everlasting necessity. Farming on a large scale is big money for whoever is involved. It has been discovered that most students find themselves in the Agric departments but few actually chose it.
In conclusion, let us not follow the crowd, let us look for a course that is highly lucrative with as little competition as possible and excel in it. That way, no course will be underestimated.
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