What are the best courses to study in Nigeria? We have the favourite Nigerian-parents’ quadruplet: Medicine, Law, Engineering, and Accounting. But are those all the options there are to having a stable career after studying in Nigeria?
The world has now evolved so much that you don’t have to be in a single field forever. You could diversify after a first degree. People have gone from Medicine to Tech, Business to Law, etc. There’s no fixed formula for success, but do your best with every opportunity given to you.
Education remains the best legacy, don’t give the “school na scam” ideology a thought. Let’s take a look at some of the best courses to study in Nigeria.
Best Courses to Study in Nigeria
1. Accounting
2. Mass Communication
3. Computer Science
4. Medicine and Surgery
5. Law
6. Business Administration/Management
6. Agriculture
7. Engineering
Best Courses to Study in Nigeria
1. Accounting
Accounting is essential in any business. It is the soul of the business. It is the process of recording, summarising, analysing, and reporting financial transactions. For a business to be credible and profitable, accounting is indispensable.
From a small sole proprietorship to the biggest partnership and even government organisations, accounting is of paramount importance to their existence. Accountants are not only important to keep records, but they also make sure businesses are in compliance with the rules laid down for their business by the government.
Accountants will always be needed, because there’ll always be businesses. You can be a Lecturer, a Corporate Accountant, an Auditor, etc. Adding professional qualifications like ICAN will put you at the top of your game. It takes 4 years to study Accounting in Nigeria.
2. Mass Communication
The career path that shows that the pen (and your voice) is mightier than the sword. Mass communication has been in high demand for ages, but especially now that people are almost always glued to their screens to find out what’s going on and not be left out. It is a field that involves journalism, public relations, advertising, and broadcasting.
Beyond media, communication is also needed in business, especially in marketing and corporate affairs.
Mass communication graduates are skilled in creating and sharing information, influencing public opinion, and connecting with audiences through various media platforms. With Mass Communication, you can become a Journalist, an Advertising Executive, a Broadcast Presenter, a Social Media Manager, e.t.c. It takes 4 years to study Mass Communication.
3. Computer Science
The world is fast becoming fully digitized, and so is the demand for skilled computer experts, particularly in Nigeria. Studying Computer Science gives you an edge as you have the foundational and practical knowledge on designing, developing, and maintaining software and hardware systems that now rule this world.
We have only just begun the digital takeover of the world. Every sector is now working hand in hand with tech to upgrade itself or get a wider audience. From Medicine to Finance, every single field now needs hands-on technology to work smoothly in this new age, so that they won’t be left out and become obsolete.
You have career options like being a Software Developer, Web Developer, Data Analyst, Cyber Security Analyst, AI Engineer, Game Developer, IT Consultant, and many other Tech Bro/Tech Sis roles.
The best part is that a career path in this field isn’t limited to Nigeria. You also have access to international career prospects. It is a four-year course.
4. Medicine and Surgery
The Nigerian parents ’ first choice. It remains a top choice because it will forever be a needed profession. They’ll always be as vital as your vitals.
While it is a very rigorous and time-consuming degree to acquire, it comes with a great deal of prestige and reward. Healthcare is a basic need, as lives hang in the balance of medical practitioners.
People will always need medical care; you don’t even have to be sick to do a checkup. People need these professionals to live a healthy life, take care of ailments, care for them during emergencies, birth their children, all of those things and many more.
A career path in medicine will never go extinct. It offers job security, plus think about how fulfilling it is to save lives.
There’s a vast career path in this field, from being a specialist (Paediatrician, Surgeon, etc) to a General Practitioner, Lecturer, Medical Researcher, and many more opportunities that aren’t limited only to Nigeria or even Africa. Got “Japa” (relocation) plans in the future? This is one ticket. Medicine takes six years to study, plus another year of housemanship.
5. Law
Have you ever heard the saying “nobody is above the law?” Wait till everyone starts calling you The Law or Barrister from your first semester. That’s when you will first have a taste of the prestige that comes with being a lawyer.
Lawyers are pillars, but if you think all there is to being a lawyer is the wig and the court, you’re mistaken. The law gives you access to many job fields, as no career line doesn’t need lawyers.
From enforcing order to fighting for people’s rights and defending their causes to being needed in the government and the corporate world, lawyers are literally hot cakes.
You could be a Judge, Barrister, Legal Counsel in companies and organisations, Lecturer, and other Law-related fields. Even outside of Law, the analytical skills you learn, plus the argumentative skills, make you the perfect fit for any career. It takes five years to have a first degree in Law and another year in Law school to become a certified Barrister.
6. Business Administration / Management
This is another reputable course to study as a Commercial student, especially for people who want to be in leadership positions or own businesses. Business Administration helps you to understand how an organisation functions.
Business Organisations will never go out of need for skilled managers who have the knowledge that can contribute to the success of various businesses. Their roles cover marketing, human resources, finance, and operations. It is a four-year course of study.
7. Agriculture
Remember our “Farmers are Better than Doctors” debates? We probably all did those, and while those shaped our thought and writing skills, this isn’t to put any career atop another on the ladder. Everyone’s skill set is needed in different capacities.
Did you know that before crude oil, agriculture was our major source of income in Nigeria? The giant of Africa was dependent on the resources that came from agriculture. That’s how solid Agriculture is. You might tend to overlook it because you don’t think it’s one of those “it” courses, but agriculture has been and it still is the bedrock of the Nigerian economy.
Something we’ll always need as a nation is food. But don’t think of agriculture as just farming. Technology has shifted it into a field that does everything from genetics to crop science, animal production, and there’s even agricultural economics. It really is so broad and profitable. If people without a degree and knowledge from it are making it big in Agriculture, how much more a graduate from the field?
Graduates from this field will always be in high demand. You have career prospects like being an Entrepreneur when you own your own agribusiness, a Soil Scientist, an Animal Scientist, or an Agriculture Economist. Really, this field offers vast career options. It takes 5 solid years of study in a federal university in Nigeria.
8. Engineering
It is the application of scientific and mathematical principles to design, build, and maintain structures, machines, and systems. This takes 5 rigorous years to study, but the sky will be your starting point after.
From Mechanical Engineering, that designs, analyses and manufactures mechanical systems, to Electrical Engineering, that manages power grids, develop telecommunications networks and advance electronics, Petroleum Engineering, that ensures safe production and extraction of Nigeria’s oil and gas resources, Civil Engineering, that designs and constructs roads, bridges, water systems and buildings and many others, you’ll be involved in shaping the country’s future through innovative means.
Engineers are at the forefront of innovation, tackling challenges in power generation, telecommunications, infrastructure, and manufacturing. Your skills are also transferable to other fields, giving you relevance forever.
Conclusion
The Yorubas say “ọna kan o wọja,” which literally translates to “there’s more than one way into the market.” These are 8 of the best courses to study in Nigeria, but this isn’t all there is to good courses to study.
Even if you’re already in school studying a different course that you probably don’t see its prospect, don’t be discouraged. Just put your best into it as you start to gain knowledge in other fields, or how to make that course work for you.
Whether you’re just completing your secondary education and thinking of what to study, you’re a parent guiding your ward, or you’re already in the university studying one or none of these courses, you’re already making a good decision.
