I'm a mechanical Engineering graduate. I'll like to know how relevant micro-controller programming is to my quest of getting a lucrative job in my field.

^^^ Just wondering if you have got Electrical & Electronic Engineering background. Is Micro-controller one the courses you took during your undergraduate. Which programming language are you using? Is it Lada( hope i got it right)?

Back to your question, I think its application in Nigerian context would be limited as there are few industries actually implementing it on the regular basis. Again, after we undertook the course in one of the modules, I so much loved it that I was hoping to work where I could apply the skill learnt but when I was opportune to work in industry where it is applied, I found out that, they are usually pre programmed and afterwards, a layman can always operate it to get the job is meant to do, done. So the ideal area where you can constantly apply the skill is the production environment where different automated systems are manufactured and big industries that are into big time production that use so many programmable micro-controllers. This i doubt is prevalent in Nigeria yet.

One thing you can do is if you are interested in being on your own, and you think you have got the relevant skill in this line, you can think of combining your mechanical engineering skills to be developing automated systems, solving identified problems In Nigeria.
By so doing, you can carve a niche for yourself.

Otuabaroku: ^^^ Just wondering if you have got Electrical & Electronic Engineering background. Is Micro-controller one the courses you took during your undergraduate. Which programming language are you using? Is it Lada( hope i got it right)?

Back to your question, I think its application in Nigerian context would be limited as there are few industries actually implementing it on the regular basis. Again, after we undertook the course in one of the modules, I so much loved it that I was hoping to work where I could apply the skill learnt but when I was opportune to work in industry where it is applied, I found out that, they are usually pre programmed and afterwards, a layman can always operate it to get the job is meant to do, done. So the ideal area where you can constantly apply the skill is the production environment where different automated systems are manufactured and big industries that are into big time production that use so many programmable micro-controllers. This i doubt is prevalent in Nigeria yet.

One thing you can do is if you are interested in being on your own, and you think you have got the relevant skill in this line, you can think of combining your mechanical engineering skills to be developing automated systems, solving identified problems In Nigeria.
By so doing, you can carve a niche for yourself.

Lada ko, Fiat ni
Just kidding though. What you mean is ladder programming, or ladder diagrams. Though each system have their mnemonic codes.

@OP, programming microcontrollers is just a small part of a bigger picture that is industrial control systems. I believe both mechanical and electrical engineers study control engineering at either undergrad, or postgrad level. To focus on microcontroller programming, you'd have to be working in Siemens, or ABB, or some other electronic engineering service contractors. Not the factories themselves.

^^^ Hahaha my Oga. Thank you, I don forget. Yes, that was my point to the poster.

If your quest is to land a "lucrative" job, then I can't offer much advice.

I hope you already know that micro-controller programming is not limited to programming/developing "industrial grade" control systems (like the Siemens, ABB ones Ajanlekoko alluded to). You can start as low as with "ordinary" controllers e.g. PIC's and AVR's and still do some amazing stuff. I completely agree with the quoted comment below from Otuabaroku. There's a lot of Engineering problems out there in our communities waiting to be solved and micro-controllers can play a role. If your interest is Engineering, then I'd say go for it. I can't see how you would regret it. I haven't.

Otuabaroku: One thing you can do is if you are interested in being on your own, and you think you have got the relevant skill in this line, you can think of combining your mechanical engineering skills to be developing automated systems, solving identified problems In Nigeria.
By so doing, you can carve a niche for yourself.

X

X-2-X:
If your quest is to land a "lucrative" job, then I can't offer much advice.

I hope you already know that micro-controller programming is not limited to programming/developing "industrial grade" control systems (like the Siemens, ABB ones Ajanlekoko alluded to). You can start as low as with "ordinary" controllers e.g. PIC's and AVR's and still do some amazing stuff. I completely agree with the quoted comment below from Otuabaroku. There's a lot of Engineering problems out there in our communities waiting to be solved and micro-controllers can play a role. If your interest is Engineering, then I'd say go for it. I can't see how you would regret it. I haven't.

Maybe you could mentor him?