23-year-old Botany graduate says “nobody needs my degree” after 3 years of job hunting

• Titilayo Nwosu has been searching for employment for about three years after graduating with a Botany degree.

• The graduate says her university education did not prepare her with the practical skills needed for available industries.

• She learned shoemaking, baking, and fashion designing while trying to create alternative sources of income.

• She says the cost of starting a business has made survival difficult for many young Nigerians.

For many Nigerian graduates, getting a university degree is often seen as the first step towards securing a better future. But for 23-year-old Titilayo Nwosu, that dream has become a difficult reality as she struggles to find employment three years after leaving school.

Titilayo, who studied Botany at the university, said she has spent years searching for a job without success, leaving her frustrated about the value of her degree in Nigeria’s competitive job market.

“There's still no available job for you and you have to live, you have to survive,” she said while sharing her experience during an interview with BBC Africa.

Asked how long she has been without a job, she said, “Generally, I'll say about three years, which is when I left the university.”

The graduate explained that she studied Botany, a course focused on plants and plant sciences, but has found it difficult to find employers who need her expertise.

“What did you study in school?” she was asked.

“Botany. I studied plant life,” she replied.

When asked to explain what that meant, she added that many people often question the relevance of the course.

“But nobody needs that,” she said.

Titilayo, however, believes there is still potential for graduates in science-related fields if there are better opportunities and industries to absorb them.

“Well, you never can tell, you know. I've been looking for three years, nobody needs that,” she said.

The prolonged job search, she admitted, has affected her emotionally.

“It has been depressing. And there's no understatement. It has been depressing,” she said.

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Beyond the challenge of finding jobs, Titilayo also questioned whether her university education gave her the practical skills needed to compete in industries where her knowledge could be applied.

She was asked if she believed she could work in a pharmaceutical company that uses plants to manufacture medicines.

“No, I don't think so,” she said.

According to her, her university training was mostly theoretical and did not provide enough hands-on skills needed for real-world opportunities.

“Because while in school, you would just be taught basic things. What is biology? What is botany? What is ecology?” she explained.

For her, the gap between classroom learning and workplace demands has made it harder for many graduates to transition into employment.

She admitted that at some point, she felt her years of studying the course had not translated into career opportunities.

“You feel it was a total waste of time?” she was asked.

“Yes, I think so,” she replied.

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With no stable job after graduation, Titilayo said she had to look for other ways to earn a living.

She learned different vocational skills, including shoemaking, baking, and fashion designing.

“I did learn shoemaking. I learnt baking. I also learnt fashion designing for about six months before I was called for NYSC,” she said.

However, starting a business has also come with its own challenges, especially because of the cost of equipment.

Titilayo explained that although shoemaking was a skill she wanted to continue with, the cost of getting the necessary tools became a major barrier.

“Why I did not continue shoemaking is because the tools I'm going to use are not a poor man's job. I can't afford it. My parents could not afford the tools,” she said.

She added that even though baking appears cheaper to start compared to some other businesses, it still requires money many young Nigerians struggle to raise.

“The same thing with baking is a bit cheaper, but it is also not cheap,” she said.

Titilayo’s story reflects the experience of many young Nigerian graduates facing a difficult transition from school to work, where limited job opportunities and the high cost of starting businesses continue to create challenges for young people trying to build independent lives.