Is Agricultural Engineering a good course to study in Nigeria?
Is agricultural
engineering a good course to study in our present Nigeria?
There is no doubt that the economy of any country has a significant influence on the value of any discipline or field. A look into Nigeria’s economy would inform us that our economy is a little crippled.
While some are able to
enjoy a sweeter part of the economy, more than half of the populace is in
abject poverty. What then is the fate of the numerous graduates in Agricultural
engineering graduating out of the various universities in Nigeria?
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Are there enough job
opportunities for agricultural engineering graduates in Nigeria?
Does the career of
agricultural engineering holds much value in a country like this one.
A simple analysis would
give a deep insight into the fate of agricultural engineering graduates in a country like Nigeria.
What is Agricultural Engineering?
Agricultural engineering
is a branch in engineering and agriculture.
It emphasizes the
development of farm machinery and implements (for tilling soils and planting
seeds, harvesting of crops) and machinery for the storage and processing of
crops into agricultural products.
In other words,
agricultural engineering is the focus of the technology part of agriculture.
The advancement of
technology has its benefits cuts across different fields. Among these numerous
fields is agriculture. Agriculture, when manually done especially on a large or
commercial scale can be killing and to some extent, impossible. Hence, there is
a need for the incorporation of technology into agriculture.
Agricultural engineers
also engage in the development of machinery for storage and processing. This is
because there are so many agricultural products that need to be processed and
packaged before they can be sent for mass consumption. This is only possible
through the aid of technology.
Indeed, agricultural
engineering practice would play a significant role in the agricultural sector
of Nigeria.
Measuring the impact of Agricultural Engineering Practice in Nigeria
It is important to draw
your attention to the point that there are not so many agricultural engineers
in Nigeria, that is, when compared to other engineering and agricultural
disciplines. This is as a result of the many universities in Nigeria that do
not offer admission into the agricultural engineering program.
There is also the
problem of lack of competence among available professional agricultural
engineers that the country is able to produce. This is influence by many
factors. However, a major factor is the neglect of the practical approach of
teaching and over-emphasis of theoretical concepts by most universities. Hence,
there is a need to reinforce the practical part of teaching in most Nigerian
universities.
This single factor has
led to the bigger factor of lack of competency among agricultural engineers
available in the country.
Agricultural engineers
are meant to understand deeply, mechanical engineering concepts, in the
designing, maintenance, and operation of machinery for commercial farm work or
operations. However, the reverse happens to be the case in Nigeria.
Evidence of this is a
lack of farm machinery available in the country and a need to import farm
machinery.
An interesting part of
agricultural engineering is the mechanization of the farm. This has to some
extent experienced successes, as this practice is founded on theoretical
knowledge.
Is an Agricultural Engineering degree worth it in Nigeria?
Agricultural engineering
is a course that comes with a lot of benefits.
Unless there is an improvement of the economy of Nigeria, the course would continue to struggle. There
is, therefore, a need for agricultural engineers to possess the required
skills. There is also a need for the government to be sensitive to the area of
agricultural engineering in Nigeria.
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