WHY DO STUDENTS STUDY ARCHITECTURE IN NIGERIA?

It has been observed that an initial love for design is a strong motivating factor attracting students to study architecture. Many creative individuals unfortunately do not find fulfilment in the field of architecture because design is not limited to the study of architecture alone. There are several design professions that are not yet recognised by the National University Commission as certifiable programmes of study. This often constrains students into choosing to study architecture being the closest to their desires, and most prominent among related professions in Nigerian universities. These students often graduate and deviate into other design related professions such as fabric design, graphics designing, product branding, photography, art and crafts among many others. It is in this light that this study investigates how design interest motivated students into studying architecture and what career path they would follow after their study. Questionnaires were used to gather data from both undergraduate and postgraduate students of architecture in four universities in Nigeria. The results show that quite a number of students would love to venture into other professions and are currently developing themselves in that line while still undergoing their architectural training. The conclusion can be drawn that many students were motivated into studying architecture as a result of having no other alternative course of study related to their design interest. Specific recommendations were made for diversifying the design programmes in Nigerian Universities to conform to the worldwide trends.