Science courses are neither saturated nor underrated for Nigeria’s economy to thrive; in fact, science is much needed for the economy to catch up with other countries in terms of economic development and growth.
In recent years the Nigerian economy has experienced several economic fluctuations, which have led to instability in the economy, thereby wiping out most jobs with it as a result of the turnover.
There are no courses that are attractive and that can pay a living, but looking at the economy of Nigeria, there are particular courses that have stood the test of time and are expected to be in demand for the next 50 years.
The best courses to study in Nigeria as a science student are numerous, but we will touch down on the seven most popular courses.
The best courses to study in Nigeria as a science student are judged and measured based on metrics like the salary, job opportunities, opportunities to work outside the country and its relevance.
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7 Best Course to Study in Nigeria as a Science Student
1. Medicine and Surgery
Medicine and surgery is a course that trains physicians and surgeons on the proper way and how to diagnose, prescribe, and administer treatment for people suffering from injury or disease through surgery or by prescribing drugs.
Medicine and surgery is one of the most attractive courses studied in Nigeria and the most competitive across the country.
Be a course related to health; it is often most in demand, and practitioners are always employed. Nigeria is currently short of doctors.
Various job opportunities available for this course include doctor, surgeon, medical officer, specialist physician, and public health officer.
Average income in Nigeria ranges from N250,000 to N8,000,000, with an annual income of N3 million to N9 million based on years of profession. Average income in the world ranges from $5,000 to $15,000 per month with an annual income of $60,000-$120,000.
2. Nursing Science
Nurses are the backbone of any hospital; without them, any hospital is bound not to function, even with an abundance of doctors. Practitioners who practise nursing study nursing science.
Nursing science is a field of study that is dedicated to a system of knowledge that is focused on human caring encompassing arts and humanities by professionals using theoretical knowledge and reflective, subjective, objective and interpretive analysis.
Nursing science is in high demand across Nigeria and all over the world as a result of its importance to the Nigerian health sector. Various Job Opportunities available for nursing science include Nurse practitioner, ICU nurse, Midwife and Public Health nurse
Average income for nursing in Nigeria ranges from N100,000 to N3,000,000 monthly, while annual income ranges from N1.2M to N4.2M. Average monthly income for nurses globally ranges from $3,000 to $7,000, while average yearly income ranges from $36,000 to $86,000.
3. Pharmacy
Pharmacy is a field of health that studies the science and ways of preparing and dispensing medicine and also offers additional clinical activities such as vaccinations, health services and the best way to stop certain diseases.
Practitioners of pharmacy are pharmacists. Pharmacy is a lucrative course in Nigeria since the economy is short of them and they are currently in demand.
Various job opportunities include pharmacist, clinical pharmacist, industrial pharmacist and research scientist.
Average monthly income for a pharmacy in Nigeria ranges from N150,000 to N500,000, with an annual income of N1.8M-N6M. Average income globally ranges from $3,000 to $8,000, while the annual income ranges from $36,000 to $86,000.
4. Engineering
Engineering is the field of science that uses the application of science to convert natural resources for the purpose and use of mankind for building dams, roads and other physical infrastructure.
Engineering is so diverse, with multiple fields which include electronic/electrical engineering, civil engineering, mechanical engineering and lots more. Nigeria is a growing industrial country, and this calls for engineers who are well skilled to build infrastructure, which includes roads, dams, schools, railways, airports, and seaports for the purposes of economic growth.
Various job opportunities available in the engineering field include construction manager, project manager, civil engineer, and electrical engineer. Average monthly income for engineers in Nigeria ranges from N120,000 to N400,000, while the annual income ranges from N1.44M to N4.8M.
The average world monthly income ranges from $4,000 to $12,000, while the annual income ranges from $48,000 to $144,000.
5. Computer Science/Software Engineering
Software engineering is a branch of computer science that is focused on the development, creation, testing and maintenance of software applications. Software engineering focuses exclusively on making sure a software runs properly and is free from threats.
Software are used globally, and software has become a integral part of the Nigeria economy system which is used across many company making software Engineering a course that is high in demand.
Various job opportunities available in software engineering include software developer, data analyst, system engineer, AI/ML engineer, and IT consultant.
Average income for software engineering ranges from N150,000 to N600,000, while annual income ranges from N1.8M to N7.2M.
The average monthly income ranges from $4,000 to $12,000, while the annual income ranges from $48,000 to $144,000.
6. Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity is a course in science that teaches students the practice of defending organisations, individuals and companies from cyberthreats. Cybersecurity analysts are the ones in charge of protecting organisations, individuals and companies from cyberthreats.
Nigeria is a country that is faced with external and internal cyberthreats daily, and more companies and organisations suffer financial losses from this.
Various job opportunities available in cybersecurity include cybersecurity analyst, ethical hacker, security consultant, and penetration tester.
Average monthly income for cybersecurity in Nigeria ranges from N150,000 to N600,000, while annual income ranges from N1.8m to N7.2m.
Average monthly income globally ranges from $4,000 to $12,000, while the annual income ranges from $48,000 to $144,000.
7. Data Science
The data science course is concerned with how to extract relevant data from a large chunk of information for better decision-making by organisations and government.
The world of recent, with the advent of computers, comes with a large amount of information and data which is used by individuals and organizations which can be turn useful when well processed and that is where data scientists come in.
With a large, growing population, Nigeria needs data scientists. They are needed by the government for better decision-making, by organisations to improve sales and for better customer targeting.
Various job opportunities for data science include data scientist, AI engineer, machine learning engineer, and data analyst.
Average monthly income for data science in Nigeria range from N200,000-N800,000 while annual income range from N2.4M-N9.6M.
The average monthly income globally for data scientists ranges from $5,000 to $15,000, while the annual global income ranges from $60,000 to $60,000-$180,000.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best science courses to study in Nigeria
The best science courses to study in Nigeria are medicine and surgery, nursing science, pharmacy, data science and public health
Which science courses offer the highest job opportunities in Nigeria?
Nursing science, medicine and surgery, and public health offer the highest job opportunities in Nigeria.
What Emerging Science courses Should Students consider for the future?
Cybersecurity, AI and machine learning and cloud computing.
Conclusion
While we write based on research that is gathered across many blogs, newspapers and statistics, the above-mentioned course success and salary depend solely on the individual.
Some of the salaries mentioned above might take 2 to 3 years of working to attain, but the above-mentioned best courses to study in Nigeria as a science student are the best and known in science field in Nigeria and even across the world
Adepoju Olamilekan is a blogger and student of economics at Adekunle Ajasin who has written for many educational blog across the country. His passion and love for blog and creating as found him always writing to provide solutions to all Nigeria Students