Job opportunities for Botany graduates – where can a botanist work?
Contrary to popular opinions or stereotypes, that Botany graduates will end up as Agricultural science teachers in Schools, there are a lot of Job opportunities as well as entrepreneurial opportunities which are available to Botany graduates in Nigeria.
Botany is the scientific study of plants. It includes the study of their structure, how they grow, how they can be effectively classified, the variables that impact their development, etc.
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Botany is a branch of biology which is the study of all living plant life and when it comes to plant life, there is a very wide range of problems which need to be solved, advancements which need to be made, and new facts which need to be discovered.
A botanist is a scientist who studies plants. They look at plant structure, biochemistry and ecology to understand plant growth, their impact on our environment as well as their uses and conservation.
Some of the places and industries where Botanists can work include; Agriculture and Forestry, Industries such as Petrochemical, lumber, and paper, Pharmaceutical Institutions, Botanical gardens and Arboretums, Research institutions, Food industries, Educational Institutions, Ecological consulting companies, seed and nursery companies, biological supply houses and Biotechnology companies, animal and plant health inspection service, oil companies, hospitals, and Oil companies.
Some of the requirements to get a good Botany job as a graduate include; Bachelor’s degree which qualifies one for work in government agencies, educational institutions, museums as orators and conservationalists as well as research, parks as conservationalists, and gardens.
Having higher degrees (Masters degrees and PhDs) with specializations in areas such as Ecology, Morphology, Taxonomy, Systems Ecology, Agronomy, and Genetics open up opportunities in higher areas of work such as advanced research and administration in places such as Universities, oil companies and other private or government companies.
The average salary of Botanists in Nigeria is about 100,000 naira and it ranges from 60,000 naira to 400,000 naira per month and this can also change. The salary of Botanist like almost all other professions is dependent on the location of the job, the employer, the job description and the level of experience.
Government employees tend to earn more than their colleagues in the private sector but not in all cases. Therefore, as we have seen there are so many places with diverse job descriptions in which graduates of Botany can work and not just as Agricultural science teachers in schools. You can find plenty of botany job offers on websites such as Jobberman and indeed.com.
Olayinka Shyllon
This article is the intellectual property of www.nimedhealth.com.ng
