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Science & TechnologyScience & TechnologyScience & TechnologyScience & Technology: : : : Nigerian Students’

Career Choices

One of the metrics that makes a country better

than another in Science and Technology is

“How many students a nation educates in

science and technology disciplines”

The other three are:� PublishedPublishedPublishedPublished researchresearchresearchresearch paperspaperspaperspapers – It is a good way to get

a bead on basic research

� NumberNumberNumberNumber ofofofof PatentsPatentsPatentsPatents - Patent give a clue as to how

well a country is exploiting its ideas for commercial

gain

� GrossGrossGrossGross domesticdomesticdomesticdomestic expenditureexpenditureexpenditureexpenditure on research and

development

This study takes a look at career choices of

Nigerian students in the 2012 UTME application

A total of 1.5million applicants applied to

tertiary institutions in UTME 2012.

UTME 2012 Application Count %

STEM Courses 705,802 46.93%

Others 798,087 53.07%

Total UTME Applicants 1,503,889

STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

Clearly, more applicants prefer non-science

courses in Humanity, Arts, Social Science, Law,

Education and Administration.

Nigeria has a policy that gives preference to

applicants in the Sciences & Technology over

other careers.

The policy states:� 60606060::::40404040 –––– University & College of Education should give

60% admission preference for those seeking careers

in the Science & Technology and 40% to others

� 70707070::::30303030 –––– Polytechnic should give 70% admission

preference for those seeking careers in the Science

& Technology and 40% to others

There are Nine faculties that applicant can seek

admission into: Administration,Administration,Administration,Administration, Agriculture,Agriculture,Agriculture,Agriculture,

Arts,Arts,Arts,Arts, Education,Education,Education,Education, Engineering,Engineering,Engineering,Engineering, Law,Law,Law,Law, Medicine,Medicine,Medicine,Medicine,

SciencesSciencesSciencesSciences andandandand SocialSocialSocialSocial ScienceScienceScienceScience

More applicants apply for courses in

AdministrationAdministrationAdministrationAdministration ((((19191919%%%%)))) and SocialSocialSocialSocial SciencesSciencesSciencesSciences ((((21212121%%%%))))

compare to others.

STEM Faculties:Faculty Total %

Agriculture 28,726 4.07%

Education 16,315 2.31%

Engineering 198,252 28.09%

Medicine 232,945 33.00%

Sciences 211,956 30.03%

Social Science 17,608 2.49%

Grand Total 705,802

Faculty Courses

Agriculture 99

Education 50

Engineering 86

Medicine 25

Science 136

Social Science 12

Grand Total 408

STEMSTEMSTEMSTEM CoursesCoursesCoursesCourses::::

AgricultureAgricultureAgricultureAgriculture ((((99999999))))::::

Course with Highest Applicants Total %

Agric Economics And Extension 6,772 23.57%

Agric - Business 4,997 17.40%

Food Science And Technology 4,372 15.22%

Agriculture 3,978 13.85%

Nutrition 1,459 5.08%

EducationEducationEducationEducation ((((50505050))))::::

Course with Highest Applicants Total %

Education And Biology 4,102 25.14%

Library And Information Science 2,152 13.19%

Education And Mathematics 1,314 8.05%

Health Education 1,118 6.85%

Agricultural Science And Education 2,032 12.45%

EngineeringEngineeringEngineeringEngineering ((((86868686))))::::

Course with Highest Applicants Total %

Electrical Engineering 40,891 20.63%

Petroleum Engineering 19,745 9.96%

Mechanical Engineering 34,276 17.29%

Civil Engineering 33,477 16.89%

Chemical Engineering 15,501 7.82%

MedicineMedicineMedicineMedicine ((((25252525))))::::Course with Highest Applicants Total %

Medicine And Surgery 116,474 50.00%

Nursing Science 41,999 18.03%

Pharmacy 32,814 14.09%

Medical Laboratory Science 22,987 9.87%

Radiography 3,002 1.29%

ScienceScienceScienceScience ssss ((((136136136136))))::::

Course with Highest Applicants Total %

Computer Science 70,150 33.10%

Microbiology 48,120 22.70%

Biochemistry 38,257 18.05%

Biology 13,085 6.17%

Chemistry 10,085 4.76%

SocialSocialSocialSocial ScienceScienceScienceScience ((((12121212))))::::Course with Highest Applicants Total %

Geography 9,516 54.04%

Library And Information Science 3,185 18.09%

Statistics 3,659 20.78%

AllAllAllAll STEMSTEMSTEMSTEM CoursesCoursesCoursesCourses

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

Engineering – 5

Medicine – 4

Science – 6

According to the African Innovation Outlook 2012;

Nigerian science is dominated by the three fields of

MedicineMedicineMedicineMedicine, AgriculturalAgriculturalAgriculturalAgricultural andandandand BiologicalBiologicalBiologicalBiological SciencesSciencesSciencesSciences, and

BiochemistryBiochemistryBiochemistryBiochemistry andandandand MolecularMolecularMolecularMolecular BiologyBiologyBiologyBiology.

Faculty Total %

Agriculture 28,726 4.07%

Education 16,315 2.31%

Engineering 198,252 28.09%

Medicine 232,945 33.00%

Sciences 211,956 30.03%

Social Science 17,608 2.49%

Grand Total 705,802

This means, Nigerians in STEM have produced

more research outputs in the LifeLifeLifeLife SciencesSciencesSciencesSciences

where BiologyBiologyBiologyBiology is core subject compared to the

PhysicalPhysicalPhysicalPhysical SciencesSciencesSciencesSciences where PhysicsPhysicsPhysicsPhysics and

Mathematics are core subjects.

Further investigation of Students’ performance in

National examinations such as the WestWestWestWest AfricaAfricaAfricaAfrica

ExaminationExaminationExaminationExamination CouncilCouncilCouncilCouncil (WAEC)(WAEC)(WAEC)(WAEC), the NationalNationalNationalNational

ExaminationExaminationExaminationExamination CouncilCouncilCouncilCouncil (NECO)(NECO)(NECO)(NECO) and the UnifiedUnifiedUnifiedUnified TertiaryTertiaryTertiaryTertiary

MatriculationMatriculationMatriculationMatriculation ExaminationExaminationExaminationExamination (UTME)(UTME)(UTME)(UTME) will assist to

identify the root cause of this research outputs in

physical sciences

StatiSense ® - Wale Micaiah ©

Freely share, freely use and freely acknowledge the

source – © Wale Micaiah

Data source:

- UTME 2012 Application

- The African Innovation Outlook 2012

Analysis by: WaleWaleWaleWale MicaiahMicaiahMicaiahMicaiah

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