Lately, I’ve been chewing on something a colleague said. She advised that my younger brother must study Computer Science, not out of passion, but out of necessity. "That’s the way now," she said. "He has to be in tech. If not, he’ll suffer."
And I get it. I really do. This is Nigeria. Every parent, guardian, older sibling, and friendly neighbor seems to be echoing the same thing: “Go tech or go hungry.”
But it made me pause.
Is this narrowing of career paths happening everywhere else too, or is this just another uniquely Nigerian reality, one more symptom of a broken system, where your dreams must first ask permission from your bank balance?
Because honestly, it’s starting to feel like every other profession is dying a slow, silent death. Especially the science fields. When last did you hear someone proudly say, “I want to be a biochemist” and actually mean it?
What happened to being passionate about finding the cure for malaria? About working in real, functional labs? About solving agricultural issues or developing sustainable energy? It feels like we’ve all collectively sighed and said, “Abeg, just give me something that pays.” And more often than not, that “something” has become tech.
I say this as someone who didn’t just hear the story, I lived it. I studied Chemistry at the university. Finished with my degree. Collected my certificate. And walked straight into the thick fog of what now?
Nobody told me the industry was dry. Nobody said, “You’ll graduate with zero experience beyond titration and maybe one faulty spectrophotometer you saw in 300 level.” Nobody told me that in this country, a Chemistry degree isn’t a door, it’s just a title. And unless you have connections, a master’s degree abroad, or the divine favor of a research grant from the gods, you’re mostly on your own.
I didn’t even get enough exposure to know what I could do with my course. I knew formulas. I memorized reaction mechanisms. But actual lab work? Equipment handling? Industrial experience? Crickets.
I don’t feel like a chemist. I don’t even feel qualified to feel like a chemist.
And that’s what saddens me most, not that I left the field, but that I never got to try it fully before deciding it wasn’t for me. That’s a whole generation of students we’re raising, students who aren’t exploring careers based on passion or potential, but based on survival and scarcity. Who look at their degree certificates with frustration, not pride.
So, I pivoted. I found tech. Not in the traditional coding-hacker way, but in the content-creation-meets-SEO-meets-digital-marketing way. I built a new path through writing and websites and storytelling. I’m grateful. But sometimes, I wonder: what would my life have looked like if I had studied Chemistry in a country that prioritized research? One with working labs, mentorship opportunities, and real industrial attachments? One where career development didn’t feel like a luxury?
Would I have loved Chemistry? Would I have discovered something groundbreaking? Would I have become a proud scientist? I guess I’ll never know.
What I do know is that everybody is now running to tech. And I don’t blame them. It’s one of the few fields that still offers a shot, even if it’s just a sliver. A chance to freelance. To work remotely. To earn in dollars. To climb out of the frustration our economy keeps handing us.
But that shouldn’t be the only way out.
Because this blind migration into tech is not always about love or curiosity or innovation. Sometimes, it’s about fear. Fear of being left behind. Fear of joblessness. Fear that every other dream is too expensive to chase here. And that fear is valid, but it’s also dangerous.
Not everyone wants to code. Not everyone wants to design or analyze or automate. Some people want to teach. To heal. To build machines. To work in the field. To study rocks. But they’re abandoning those dreams because we’ve made it clear: if you don’t do tech, your future might be bleak.
And I hate that for us.
I hate that passion is now seen as a luxury. That curiosity is buried under bills. That people who could’ve been amazing scientists, researchers, conservationists, or doctors are now second-guessing everything because society is screaming, “Go into tech or go hungry.”
We shouldn’t have to choose between dreaming and surviving.
And maybe I don’t have a solution. Maybe I’m just ranting. But I want to name this thing. I want to say it out loud, that something’s off. That our country is bleeding talent into one industry because we’ve killed the others. That some of us didn’t leave our original paths because we were done, we left because we were never given room to begin.
I hope we find our way back. Not just to tech, but to a society where every career has worth, where passion isn’t punished, and where students can dream without fear of hunger.
Until then, we keep building with what we have. And for me, for now, that’s tech.
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Well the thing is reality can be very different from our dreams and life doesn't always play fair in most cases. The way the world is moving globally now, technological advancement is on the high rise and seems to be the surest way in some cases. Thank you for sharing @whatmidesays
Exactly. It's almost like, right from birth, one's reality and circumstances shapes their destiny's pattern. Just like how our dreams are influenced by inborn passion but also what we see, hear, perceive around us, so can these dreams be snatched by same reality and circumstances.
And yes, the rate at which technology is advancing seems to be where the gold is at the moment. Hopefully, for the people that'd rather chase fulfillment than gold, they get the opportunity to find such fulfillments.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts! Do have a wonderful day.
It's terrible how your dream of being a Chemist is no longer valued by your leader's lack of vision for the future of your country. Being a country rich in resources like oil need chemists, but I understand full well how corrupt the industry had become while her citizens benefit so little. Your passion may not have the same fit in the tech field but we know that the bills need to be paid. Don't totally lose your dream, I hope one day it can become a reality.
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well, to be very honest, I'm a general creative. While I'm not exactly passionate about being a chemist, I just love spaces that give me the chance to be free, creative and climb the ladder of growth. One thing I hate more than anything is being boxed in and to be honest, chemistry would have done that to me. So, I love where I'm at right now. However, there are so many people that, they don't mind fitting into a box, in fact, they find more safety there. And for those people, taking up a challenging path like tech is not exactly a dream life for them, but they have no choice. So, as you've rightly said, the hope is that their dreams, our dreams, can become a reality someday.
Thank you so much for your lovely comment.
Not even tech alone , everyone is running to a survival skills , skills that they think it will bring something for them. A bad country can change someone dreams.
Tech is not the only way but is a means so you can be in agriculture and incorporate tech in to it and in whatever field you find yourself tech can be incorporated.
Thanks for sharing your thought.
This is a proof that survival has replaced curiosity as the main career driver. Tech is a great path, but a healthy society should have room for scientists, artists, farmers, and engineers to thrive too.