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What do you find around that is not chemistry? Obviously nothing! Hence, chemistry has come to be acclaimed the mother of all the sciences.
The knowledge of chemistry is applied in making virtually everything around us. These include
common things like rubber carpets, inks (for biro, printing), dyes, paints, candles, books, nylon/cellophane bags, clothing materials, drugs, fuels (like petrol, kerosene, diesel), some components of computer, fertilizers, building materials like glass wares, plastic tables and chairs, rulers, tissue papers, chalk, to mention a few. This gives chemistry as a discipline and the chemist himself a very unique position in the economy of any country.
Branches of Chemistry
Chemistry is a very vast discipline and so it has been divided into areas of specializations. While some areas (branches) are academic, others are professional.
The academic branches include physical chemistry, organic chemistry, and inorganic chemistry. While the professional branches include: industrial chemistry, environmental chemistry, and analytical chemistry.
- Physical Chemistry: Has to do with chemical reactions and processes. It studies what happens during chemical reactions, how they happen and why. It is also related to industrial chemistry as it deals with industrial chemical processes.
- Organic Chemistry: This is the chemistry of carbon compounds, most of which are of plant and animal origin. Organic chemistry studies the properties of such compounds, their reactions as well as their synthesis.
- Inorganic Chemistry: This is the branch of chemistry that has to do with the study of other elements in the periodic table aside carbon. It studies their occurrence, characteristics, reactions as well as their synthesis.
- Industrial Chemistry: This is the branch of chemistry which deals with the production of useful items from basic raw materials, mostly chemical raw materials. Industrial chemistry covers the operations of different chemical industries such as the cosmetics industries, soap and detergent industries, paper industries, textile industries, petrochemical industries, polymer industries, etc.
- Environmental Chemistry: This is the branch of chemistry that studies the environment, specially the biological environment with the aim of helping to provide and maintain a safe environment. Its major areas of concern are waste management and pollution control.
- Analytical Chemistry: As the name implies, this is the branch of chemistry that has to do with chemical analysis of substances to determine their chemical constituents. The skills acquired in analytical chemistry are applicable in virtually every other aspects of chemistry.
Who qualifies to study chemistry?
The basic requirement to studying chemistry is having a strong personality which must be characterized by hardwork, resilience, and meticulousness. To meet the admission requirement, a candidate must possess at least five credits to include English Language, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, and Biology and must score very good points at the UTME, and the university’s aptitude test conducted by particular university of choice.
Institutions that offer Chemistry as a course of study in Nigeria
Most universities in Nigeria offer chemistry at first degree. They are: AAU, AAUA, ABU, ABUAD, ABUJA, ACHIEVERS, ADSU, AJAYI, AKSU, AL-HIKMAH, BAI, BAYERO, BELLS, BENIN, BINGHAM, BOWEN, BSU, CALABAR, CALEB, CRAWFORD, CRESCENT, DELSU, FOUNTAIN, FUPRE, FUTA, FUTO (with options in industrial chemistry, pure chemistry, mineral processing), GSU, IBADAN, IGBINEDION, ILORIN, JABU (with options in industrial and pure chemistry), JOS, KASU, KSU, KSUST, KUST, LAGOS, LAPAI, LASU, MAIDUGURI, MARKUDI, MKAR, NOVENA, NTNU (with options in petroleum and petrochemical concentration), OAU, OBONG, ODUDUWA, PHC, RSUST, SALEM, TASUED, TSUJ, UMUDIKE, UMYUK, UNAAB, UYO, VERITAS, WESTERN-DEL, WELLSPRING, WUKARI, WUSTO, YOLA, UNAD (as pure chemistry), NDU (as chemistry and applied chemistry), NASARAWA (with options in pure chemistry and industrial chemistry), RHEMA, BIA, USTI, KWASU. ABSU, BENIN, IGBINEDION AND IMSU offer chemistry and industrial chemistry.
Most universities in Nigeria offer chemistry at first degree. They are: AAU, AAUA, ABU, ABUAD, ABUJA, ACHIEVERS, ADSU, AJAYI, AKSU, AL-HIKMAH, BAI, BAYERO, BELLS, BENIN, BINGHAM, BOWEN, BSU, CALABAR, CALEB, CRAWFORD, CRESCENT, DELSU, FOUNTAIN, FUPRE, FUTA, FUTO (with options in industrial chemistry, pure chemistry, mineral processing), GSU, IBADAN, IGBINEDION, ILORIN, JABU (with options in industrial and pure chemistry), JOS, KASU, KSU, KSUST, KUST, LAGOS, LAPAI, LASU, MAIDUGURI, MARKUDI, MKAR, NOVENA, NTNU (with options in petroleum and petrochemical concentration), OAU, OBONG, ODUDUWA, PHC, RSUST, SALEM, TASUED, TSUJ, UMUDIKE, UMYUK, UNAAB, UYO, VERITAS, WESTERN-DEL, WELLSPRING, WUKARI, WUSTO, YOLA, UNAD (as pure chemistry), NDU (as chemistry and applied chemistry), NASARAWA (with options in pure chemistry and industrial chemistry), RHEMA, BIA, USTI, KWASU. ABSU, BENIN, IGBINEDION AND IMSU offer chemistry and industrial chemistry.
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Career Prospects/Job Opportunities in Chemistry
The services of a chemist are needed in almost every facet of the economy, especially in a growing economy like ours. The career prospects available include:
- Teaching: A chemist can teach in secondary schools and also as lecturer in colleges of education, polytechnics and universities.
- Researches: A chemist can serve as researcher in food industries, manufacturing industries, agricultural industries, pharmaceutical industries, etc.
- Laboratory Assistants: Chemists can work as laboratory assistants in schools and universities, in most manufacturing companies and in all chemical industries.
- Consultancy Services: Chemists can be consultants to oil companies, government ministries, chemical industries, etc.
On a general note, job opportunities available to the chemist are not limited to the ones listed above. Chemists can work in the health sector, agricultural sector, extractive industries and any other science related establishment. Apart from all these, depending on his/her personality, a chemist can function in areas outside his/her discipline if given the appropriate training as is the practice of most employers.
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