Perception of Forestry as a Career Choice among Forestry Students in Nigeria

Abstract

Forestry education at tertiary level has been structured in order to produce professional foresters with the overall goal of biodiversity management, sustainable forest management, creation and management of wood resources and interaction with forest dependent communities. This study was conducted to ascertain the perception of tertiary institution students on the choice of forestry as a career choice. A total of 254 copies of well-structured questionnaire were randomly administered to respondents and the data collected were subjected to descriptive statistical analysis of frequencies and percentages. The results of the study revealed that majority (63.7%) were male, single (89.4%) and aged 19-25 (68.5%).The findings also revealed that the students are well aware of what Forestry profession is and that this was learned through their teachers. It was further revealed that personal interest and admission challenges are the major reasons why students chose forestry as a career. The students were revealed to have an overall favorable and positive disposition towards forestry profession despite the challenges involved. Based on these findings, it is recommended that Government at all levels, individuals, public and private organizations and others should encourage the students and motivate them through scholarships, government interventions, public awareness and encouragement from professional bodies.

Keywords: Tertiary Institutions, Perception, Forestry, Career