The Transient Nature Of The Professions—Just Thinking Aloud

Bolu Faith Opaniran

By Bolu Faith Opaniran

When I was younger I fell in love with Gani Fawehinmi. I wanted to be a lawyer! I think his activism also added to my love for law. That informed my decision to join the Art Department and of course, though that was not the only reason.

Another was that some science subjects were too hard for my head to comprehend. I was doing well in Government. The historical terrain catches my attention and I always wished Sani Abacha could still be alive then for me to find a way of making him pay for his sins.

Funny enough, I had nothing, not even the strength to fight some bullies in my class. Probably, Nigeria might not be in existence if Abacha had not died when he died and the possibility of my birth would be very slim.

At Ondo Anglican Grammer School, the general conclusion  was that Science department was the best, ahead of Art with the Commercial coming last. There was no completion or survey that determined that, but that was generally the way that the different sections were viewed.

Some students with low self esteem joined the Science simply for the prestige associated with it.  Of course, the satisfying expression of ‘I am in the science department’ is so magical that people automatically believed you were brilliant even if your brain was nothing more than a basket that can’t hold water.  I can name some people who fell victim of this.

In fact, my knowledge of career was so myopic that all I thought was that, if you wanted to do Science;  you are signing up to be a doctor, Art; a lawyer and Commercial; an accountant. When I entered Senior School, my eyes opened to the uniqueness of each of the  departments.

These professions were the height of every young individual’s dream. Many high paying and fulfilling jobs that have sprung up due to the advent of technology would not even be fitting to the archaic ‘sandalili’ song. Imagining singing “I am a programmer in my country….”

The introduction of computers cut down the need for secretaries because what they basically do is type documents and they are paid for their speed in typing and how they can reduce errors to the nearest minimum in their works. Computers are easier. You can save, even continue from where you stopped and make edits.

Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cut down the number of cashiers in the banking and finance sector. And many other fields were affected.

The change in development and time is grossly affecting the relevance and demand for many professions that our parents, teachers and myopic sight forced us to take up. Some of them are still very relevant but technology is definitely cutting down the demand of people in that profession while our tertiary institutions keep turning out graduates in those disciplines year-in-year-out.

Are we sure there are no jobs?  As much as there are problems all around, especially in Nigeria, we have jobs! I think our demand is not just tallying with our supply.

Artificial Intelligence is here, an advance technology that will induce digital technology to do almost more than 50% of what humanity are supposed to do for themselves. This is to say, what gives us money or jobs wouldn’t be energetic force from our body. Our intelligence and creative expression must be at its peak.

Professions like driving will be replaced by an automatic car that follows the Google map addresses.

Are we ready for these miracles? If you think you are fine with your present profession and you earn enough, is it secured futuristically?

To those interested in my story, I navigated from my pursuit of Law and I studied Mass Communication., now in advertising, where creativity is the core force. No matter the emergency of stronger AI, or a greater force, they will always ride on how well you as a human can configure them to create. So, let’s create!