₦airaland Forum

Jones4190:
ortom himself is not sure of going to senate.
he will loose his pooling unit to apc

othermen:
As a young fellow getting started in his career, you are doing great observing what may be prevalent.

I think young people should try to get some education about their chances- as you have or as you desire before going to the university to study any course.

You have to consider which is foremost to you- is it to have a successful career in whatever endeavour or to become a successful engineer; if it is the former, such that you are desiring a career for the success output, you may need to assess other courses aside Engineering that may provide readily available opportunities for you.

Increasingly, renowned courses like Law and Engineering needs to be re-assessed by those aspiring for a career in either. Most people are rather desiring for paid employment, when the fields actually has several opportunities to be self-employed, becoming a consulting professional or getting into some start-up.

Engineering is a wonderful course- however the formal labour market in Nigeria may not be so much great or wonderful for the discipline.

While there seem to be far limited formal opportunities for engineers than there are engineers, for those that persevere, and got opportunity to practice in their field- they often have the best outcomes in terms of prosperity when compared with other disciplines. (Check Aerospace Engineering).

There are some engineering courses that gives you significant edge in the informal labour market. Such that you can start your own enterprise right away and become an employer of labour as well. Now, the difficulty with this is the cost of start up and the competence we have instilled which is not geared towards self sufficiency or entrepreneurial spirit. Engineering, accounting or finance, medicine among others are all professional courses that don't require additional post-graduate degrees to maximise the opportunities they may afford. You just have to have right mindset of problem identification and solving to being a structural analyst.

Most engineers that went through Nigeria universities have had little exposure to practical training in Engineering. The universities have focused more on theoretical engineering- when engineering is mostly a practical course. The faculties could have been innovative in building massive workshop that can help instill the requisite skills that would propel a desirable career in most of their alumni; however they are frustrated by the nonchalance of the FG which has crushed what should be the faculty imagination.

What then is the option left to the engineer who can’t get a chance in the formal engineering labour market or who don’t have the resource for a start up?

So a civil engineer for instance could personally take on the supervision of construction or re-construction of housing units or other building structures- massive ones and the small residential ones. In many residential areas in Lagos, you have civil engineers approach owners of old building structures with great plans to pull down and reconstruct the buildings at their own cost, while such arrangement gives them some form of leasehold on the newly constructed building say a two flats now devolved into a six flats. They could have a long term leasehold on 2 of those flats. Now you don’t have to be a civil engineer to do such, you just need to have the requisite skills. However the Engineering discipline gives a confidence in such prospective customers that non-engineers approaching can offer them. Some civil engineers have made more money more than those working in Shell BP by exploring such.

Mechanical engineers on the other hand, also just need a little support to get started in the informal labour market; in sane schools- they are taught the competence to be able to design about anything. As at today, the universities may not offer as much technical skills as you may see in a polytechnic or some technical schools. The mechanical engineer must be humble enough to realize this. After getting around such, the issue then may be the cost of designing whatsoever they desire designing which may be highly demanding and in a nation that don’t support innovation, you have to look elsewhere. I know mechanical engineers that specialize in plumbing for very big building construction firms - designing and supervising the plumbing. Now, some ignorant mechanical engineers sees plumbing as a mere apprenticeship exercise, but with one’s credentials- you become even more feasible for opportunities. This is aside those, that are probably into constructions or repairs of factory machines and intensive trucks such as drilling machines.

I think ultimately in addition to what you may acquire from this thread - you have to understand that becoming successful as an engineer is a function of your own mindset. And for some people with the right mindset, it is in a place like Nigeria where several things don’t seem to work- that there are opportunities. There is no electricity / then there is a market for affordable power plans such that an electrical engineer who is innovative and adaptable can provide affordable solar energy technology to people. Get on LinkedIn, take a look at the profiles of engineers working in great firms, look at the unique skills they have, look at the career choices they have made. It could help you create your own template.

Don’t make costly assumptions based on what you may find in your immediate environment. Many of those people are products of a dysfunctional mindset or of a mindset compelled by the tragic realities of Nigeria. However if you have incorporated such reality in your methodological mindset, you should excel well in engineering or in any discipline you so choose. Those working in the manufacturing that you have interacted with are mostly products of technical education, and they provide supports and take instructions from the engineers, while those who attended universities that you interact with have little to no technical expertise. Again, if you build a methodological mindset towards your career, engineering can give you so much.



Very apt and instructive. I enjoyed this piece.

Jennyclay:
It's not advisable my dear! 100k is way too small. Haba!!

God forbid!! I reject it IJN!!

NaijaRoyalty:
Which Nigerians like Tinubu?

Dem dey like thief?

Savedday:
9ja girls don't love and dey will never love u.

They are nothing but useless. All of them...

Know this and know peace

Salewa97:
God bless Asiwaju tinubu.

Shame on Obituary supporters. They will start crying on this thread now.

sarrki:
Some Christians in Nigeria have lost it completely

They preach and harbor hatred

Christian association of Nigeria is a Pdp annex

Am happy am not one of there members

If you like go and killl yah Sef Tinubu is the next president

Please don’t be unfortunate coz I didn’t not mention your name

LordviccoDaGuru:
Nice one

Peter Obituary is dead on arrival

Gottiii:
Toks, I really appreciate your response.

What’s the trim?

Gottiii:
Thanks, how much should I budget ?

Gottiii:
V4 or V6

Gottiii:
Bro, what year is your Honda Accord ?

ECHICHE:
Congrats.

Nawaoo! Inflation has dealt with Nigerians badly. I bought same car in Apapa, Lagos N1.7million in May 2018. The fuel consumption is amazing. I filled the car tank once & i drove with my In-law to PH.

My advise
1. Service the car regularly with the right & original engine oil (at most once in 2months).

2. If the car plugs are CARRY-COME, pls, don't change it. It is meant to last longer.

3. Replace the A/C filter if you notice a reduction in the rate of cooling. Use a good a/c mechanic.

4. On no occasion should you allow fuel to finish in the car before you buy new one. Always target full tank to reduce fuel consumption.

5. Avoid heavy or overload in order not to damage the car chassis.

6. To preserve the colour of the car, pls, don't use detergent to wash the car. Buy morning fresh.

Toyota Corolla is a sweet car. It doesn't give problem at all

Beosten:
Lol. Wetin be my own. I don't make comments on politics.

thebosstrevor1:
I will enjoy my agbado while you starve and look like AIDS victims

thebosstrevor1:
I love agbado.

Stop calling something you can't afford useless.

Agbado is part of Nigerian's diet and many people in Nigeria survive from eating corn or food processed from corn

GeneralPula:
Nah heavy weight the guy man carry..

Some men dey try sha. Dem go leave Benz or Lexus con go grab trailer..

I see the husband getting fed up of excess body fat before 5 years of marriage..

I see the husband having multiple slim side chicks..

Nairaland girls will be among the side chicks..

This I have seen..

ehmmy11:
The lexus should get the pick because you live in Nigeria, mechanics will be more comfortable working on it, spare parts available but abit pricey. Besides it's the better built car. over look the fuel ratings you can't have it all ..

PS: owning the lexus will make you have irritating, unwanted and unnecessary interactions with the NPF

OsuEbonyi:
Street credibility.
This man is only behind Dan Fodio and Ahmadu Bello in terms of acceptability

dopedan:
Y akwa ibom people too like barbing
Rip tho

BluntCrazeMan:
OBIDIENTLY YUSFUL

OkoroBufo:
We have verified his ticket was secured with Ghana-must-go

-Okoro bufo