Let’s get this out of the way first: no degree is truly useless. Every course teaches thinking, discipline and some marketable skills. When people call a course “useless” in Nigeria they usually mean: it has limited direct job openings locally, the market is saturated, or employers don’t prioritise the degree when hiring. That’s a market problem, not the fault of the subject.

This long post will:

• explain what people mean by “useless” in the Nigerian context
• list 20 courses commonly labelled that way and why they’re perceived like that
• show the real, transferable value in each course
• give practical steps you or someone studying the course can take to make it valuable
• finish with FAQs and a quick action plan

If you’re already studying any of these, don’t panic — I’ll show how to pivot, add skills, and sell your degree. Ready?

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Why people call some courses “useless” in Nigeria

People often judge a course’s usefulness by how directly it leads to paid jobs locally. In Nigeria that judgement is shaped by:

• Industry size: Some sectors (oil, banking, healthcare, ICT) hire lots of graduates; others (conservation, some pure research areas, specialist labs) hire far fewer people.
• Market signals: Employers sometimes prefer practical certificates and demonstrable work experience to a liberal arts degree.
• Educational mismatch: University syllabuses can be theoretical and slow to adapt to tech and industry changes.
• Saturation: Too many graduates chasing few roles (e.g., certain social science posts).
• Informal hiring norms: Networking and skills often trump degree titles.

Again: this is market behaviour, not an absolute ranking of a subject’s worth.

1. Philosophy

Why people worry: Few direct career tracks; employers prefer measurable or technical skills.

Real value: Critical thinking, ethics, argumentation, writing.

Make it pay: Add policy research, copywriting, content strategy, UX research, or data analysis skills. Take short courses in communication, analytics or product management.

2. Library & Information Science (LIS)

Why people worry: Decline of traditional libraries and few public positions.

Real value: Information management, archiving, metadata, research skills.

Make it pay: Pivot to records management, digital archives, knowledge management in NGOs, or information architecture for tech firms.

3. Religious Studies / Theology

Why people worry: Limited salaried roles outside religious institutions.

Real value: Cultural literacy, counselling basics, ethics, public speaking.

Make it pay: Combine with community development, counselling certification, NGO work, content creation, or teaching.

4. Anthropology / Archaeology

Why people worry: Limited local research jobs, funding and specialized positions.

Real value: Research methods, fieldwork, cultural analysis, qualitative interviewing.

Make it pay: Move into UX research, heritage management, museum curation, documentary production or development work.

5. Theatre Arts / Drama / Film & Performing Arts

Why people worry: Entertainment industry is competitive and informal; formal roles are few.

Real value: Storytelling, production skills, stage, directing, communication.

Make it pay: Freelance in events, film production assistant roles, content creation, advertising, scriptwriting, arts entrepreneurship.

6. Social Studies / General Education (non-specialised)

Why people worry: Too broad, employers want specialised teachers or credentials.

Real value: Broad civic knowledge, pedagogy basics, communication.

Make it pay: Get classroom certification, specialise (STEM education, digital learning), or add instructional design and edtech skills.

7. Environmental Management / Forestry / Wildlife

Why people worry: Few paid conservation and environmental positions in Nigeria; funding is limited.

Real value: Environmental assessment, policy understanding, project planning.

Make it pay: Work with NGOs, sustainability divisions of corporations, environmental compliance roles, or take GIS and remote sensing courses.

8. Home Economics / Horticulture / Horticultural Science

Why people worry: Perceived as domestically-focused or with limited high-paying roles.

Real value: Nutrition, food science, entrepreneurship, agro-skills.

Make it pay: Start catering or food businesses, get nutrition and dietetics certification, go into agritech, or urban farming start-ups.

9. Tourism & Hospitality Management / Travel & Hospitality

Why people worry: Industry prone to shocks and limited luxury or travel market locally.

Real value: Customer service, operations, revenue management, event planning.

Make it pay: Work in hotel ops, events, airline ground services, travel content, or pivot into F&B management and customer experience roles.

10. Linguistics / Languages (pure)

Why people worry: Few local jobs specifically titled “linguist.”

Real value: Language analysis, translation, phonetics, computational linguistics basics.

Make it pay: Translation and localisation, teaching, speech tech if you learn NLP basics, content and edtech localization.

11. Zoology / Botany / Pure Biology (non-medical)

Why people worry: Limited research jobs and few industry roles unless you specialise.

Real value: Lab methods, scientific thinking, fieldwork.

Make it pay: Get lab certifications, move into public health, biotech, agritech, or pursue postgraduate training for specialized roles.

12. Sociology / Political Science

Why people worry: Saturation for generalist roles; employers want demonstrable technical skills.

Real value: Research, policy analysis, data interpretation, community insight.

Make it pay: Learn data analysis (STATA, R, Python), policy writing, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), or join think-tanks and NGOs.

13. History / Art History

Why people worry: Few heritage or archival jobs; academia is competitive.

Real value: Research, archival skills, contextual analysis, storytelling.

Make it pay: Museum work, cultural tourism, content production, heritage project management, digital archiving.

14. Microbiology / Biochemistry (pure sciences)

Why people worry: Many grads, but industry jobs require specialization or funding for labs and pharma.

Real value: Lab techniques, analysis, scientific methodology.

Make it pay: Specialize in industrial microbiology or clinical lab tech, get certifications for medical labs, or move into pharmaceuticals, quality control, or regulatory affairs.

15. Mass Communication (traditional journalism focus)

Why people worry: Traditional media jobs decline; digital skills are now required.

Real value: Writing, media production, storytelling, interviewing.

Make it pay: Learn digital marketing, SEO, social media management, podcasting, video production, or corporate communications.

16. Music / Creative Writing / Fine Arts / Video & Photographic Arts

Why people worry: Creative industries are portfolio-driven and unpredictable.

Real value: Creativity, technical production, design sensibility.

Make it pay: Build a portfolio, freelance, monetise via content platforms, teach, or combine with digital marketing and branding skills.

17. Fashion Design / Cosmetology / Culinary Arts

Why people worry: Practical trade skills are often best learnt in short, hands-on schools; degree programs can be expensive and less hands-on.

Real value: Craft skills, aesthetics, business basics.

Make it pay: Start small businesses, take practical bootcamps, sell online, or add business and marketing skills.

18. Psychology (without postgraduate professional training)

Why people worry: Most clinical roles require postgraduate certification and licensing.

Real value: Understanding human behaviour, counselling basics, research.

Make it pay: Add counselling certifications, HR training, UX research, coaching or specialise with a master’s for clinical roles.

19. Interdisciplinary / General Studies

Why people worry: Employers sometimes prefer graduates with clear technical or professional specialisations.

Real value: Flexibility, cross-domain thinking, breadth.

Make it pay: Pick a marketable minor, do internships, or add a technical skill like data, design, or coding.

20. International Studies / International Relations (pure)

Why people worry: Diplomatic roles are few; international organisation positions are competitive.

Real value: Global affairs, policy analysis, language and negotiation.

Make it pay: Learn grant-writing, M&E, foreign languages, or target NGOs, multilateral organisations, and private-sector roles with global operations.

What to do if you’re already studying or graduated with one of these courses

Short answer: invest in skills that the market values and build demonstrable work.

Concrete steps:

1. Identify 2 to 3 practical skills that complement your degree (e.g., Excel, data analysis, SQL, basic web dev, digital marketing, UX research, project management).
2. Take short, focused online courses (Google, Coursera, Udemy, freeCodeCamp, etc.) and add certificates to your CV and LinkedIn.
3. Do microprojects and internships — unpaid experience beats a blank CV. Build a portfolio, even if it’s small.
4. Network deliberately — join LinkedIn groups, attend seminars, volunteer for NGOs, meet people in the roles you want.
5. Learn to tell your story — translate your degree into market-sensible skills on CV and job interviews. For example: “As an Anthropology major I can design field surveys and interpret social data; here are examples.”
6. Consider part-time freelancing or side-hustles that monetise your skillset while you upskill (content writing, tutoring, social media management, lab assistant, etc.).
7. If possible, specialise via a master’s or professional certificate that is respected by employers in your chosen field.

Skills that make any degree valuable in Nigeria (high ROI)

• Digital literacy: Microsoft Excel advanced, Google Workspace.
• Data basics: Excel modelling, basic statistics; then R or Python for analysts.
• Web and product skills: basic HTML, CSS, JS or no-code tools.
• Digital marketing: SEO, Google Analytics, social ads, content creation.
• Project management: Agile fundamentals, Trello, Notion, PM basics.
• Communication and storytelling: writing, presentation, negotiation.
• Specialised certifications: clinical lab certificates, CISCO, CompTIA, or AWS fundamentals depending on the route.

Even a small certificate plus a portfolio often beats a vague degree on its own.

How employers actually hire in Nigeria (what they look for)

• Relevant experience such as internships and freelance projects.
• Practical skills that match the tools they use.
• Problem-solving evidence shown via case studies, portfolio, or code repo.
• Attitude and fit with referrals from your network often helping a lot.

So focus on what you can demonstrate more than what your transcript says.

Quick survival and pivot playbook (3 to 6 months)

1. Month 1: Pick an industry you like - tech, fintech, health, media, or NGOs. Identify 3 job ads and list required skills.
2. Month 2: Learn 2 high-impact skills from those job descriptions (for example Excel and basic SQL, or content and SEO). Do one micro-course.
3. Month 3: Build one project (dashboard, portfolio website, marketing plan) and publish it.
4. Month 4 to 6: Apply for internships, freelance gigs, and network. Tailor your CV to each role showing the project you made.

This focused loop beats long, vague job hunts.

FAQs

Q. Which courses are actually future-proof in Nigeria?

Fields tied to digital skills, healthcare, renewable energy, and finance have strong demand. But demand changes, and learning agility is the ultimate future-proof skill.

Q. Will employers reject me for studying a “useless” course?

Not necessarily. Many employers hire for skills and demonstrable work. Pack your degree with certificates, projects and internships.

Q. Should I change course in university if I’m in one of these?

Only if you have a clear alternative and can manage the cost and time. Often it’s better to add a minor, take electives, or learn outside the university system.

Q. Is postgraduate study the only way to fix a “useless” degree?

No. Postgraduate study helps but is expensive. Short courses, projects and networking can be faster and cheaper fixes.

Conclusion

• “Useless” is a market label, not an absolute judgement.
• Every degree has transferable skills; you only need to package them for employers.
• The fastest route to better outcomes is skill acquisition, demonstrable work, and networking.
• If you’re studying any of these courses: double down on one practical skill, get internships, and build a portfolio.