Professional career or not

Today i was talking to one of my bosses on the importance of a chosen career path for your child and it made me think about our culture. In my mind i wonder why most Nigerian parents will push and push and do almost anything for their kids to get a "professional" career. How often do you hear a parent say to their kid "you will become a Dr, or a lawyer or ........." You get my drift... What happend when that child decides to become a musician or a professional football player? All hell lets loose and suddenly that child is a disappointment to their family. Parents forget what is most important like a child's happiness, talent or gifts. What is it really with African parents and "professionalism"? If every graduate in Africa or naija is a lawyer, Dr, accountant , who will do the bricklaying, who will do the entertaining? or who will make people up on their wedding day or special occassion? Abeg Jo... Here i am at 26years now finally discovering myself and my true passion. All of my childhood my dad pushed for the sciences for me..His baby was going to be a doctor O, a surgeon at that sef. Now as i look back i laugh because, Me a surgeon? na joke? When i finally looked through my past transcripts and results and found that my strengths never layed in the sciences (even though i made passing grades in them after uncountable physics and math lesson teachers) it was like a rude awakening. I had spent 4+years in college doing absolutely nothing... Money don waste. I had to decide to do what made me happy and change majors to business. Momsie initially was disappointed but then she goes "i've always known all along you struggled in the sciences if only i had said something to your dad" .
So what is it really with naija parents and professional careers? Are parents trying to live their dreams through their kids or is it a thing of gratification and pride for them to say "my daughter is a medical doctor" or "my son is an engineer". I wonder......... (to be continued, excuse all typos)