NBS Reports Shows Only 40% Of Public Sector Workers Followed Due Recruitment Process

A latest report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has shown that only about 40 per cent of workers in the public service were properly recruited.

The report titled: “Corruption in Nigeria: Patterns and Trends” we released on Thursday and it was carried out in conjunction with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

According to the report, about 6 out of 10 successful candidates admitted to using either nepotism, bribery, or both to improve their chances of being recruited between 2020 and 2023, an indication that not less than 60% of public sector workers were hired due to nepotism, bribery or both within the period.

Further breakdown of the report showed that of 27% of these candidates admitted to using only bribery, 13% were admitted service through only nepotism, and 19% to both bribery and nepotism.

Similarly, about 40% of the candidates claimed to have secured their positions without resorting to any such means, based on data collected between November 2020 and October 2023.

Specifically, 27% of these candidates admitted to using only bribery, 13% to only nepotism, and 19% to both bribery and nepotism. On the other hand, 40% of the candidates claimed to have secured their positions without resorting to any such means, based on data collected between November 2020 and October 2023.

The report read: “The selecsed to recruit public officials plays a crucial role in shaping the culture of integrity that should drive the civil service as well as ensure that new recruits have the highest standards of professionalism and merit. However, the 2023 survey findings indicate that the public sector recruitment process requires closer monitoring, as almost half (46%) of people who secured a job in the public sector in the last three years prior to the survey admitted that they paid a bribe to facilitate their recruitment – about 1.5 times the share found in the 2019 survey (31%).

The survey also indicates that a considerable number of people recruited into the public sector secured their posts with the help of a friend or relative, many in addition to paying a bribe.

Of all successful applicants in the last three years prior to the 2023 survey, the report says about 32% were helped by friends or relatives.

Overall, in the three years prior to the 2023 survey, around 60% of public sector applicants in Nigeria were hired as a result of nepotism, bribery or both – about 1.2 times the share found in the 2019 survey.”

The report further showed that the use of bribery is notably lower when the recruitment process includes formal assessments. Specifically, 51% of candidates were not formally assessed, and of these, a significant 53% admitted to using bribery or nepotism to secure their positions.

On the whole, among the 49% of candidates who underwent a written test or oral interview, the use of unethical means such as bribery or nepotism dropped to 41%.

“The 2023 survey data show that approximately half (49%) of those who secured a position in the public sector in the three years prior to the survey passed a written test and/or oral interview during the recruitment selection process. Importantly, the data suggest that the means of selection had a role in facilitating or preventing the use of illegal practices during recruitment. Among those who underwent an assessment procedure (written test / oral interview), 41% made use of bribery, while the share was as much as 53% among those who were not formally assessed,” said the NBS.