The National Bureau of Statistics has said at least 60% of public sector personnel were employed through nepotism, bribery, or both between 2020 and 2023.
This disclosure was made by NBS in the “Corruption in Nigeria: Patterns and Trends” report, which was based on a survey conducted with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The survey revealed that 6 out of 10 successful candidates admitted to using either nepotism, bribery, or both to boost their chances of being hired.
In the report, 27% of these candidates admitted to utilizing only bribery, 13% to only nepotism, and 19% to both.
According to data collected between November 2020 and October 2023, 40% of candidates claimed to have secured their posts without using any such means.
The report read “The selection process used 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 2023 survey also found evidence 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, 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 also showed that the use of bribery is substantially lower when the recruiting process includes official assessments. In particular, 51% of candidates were not formally reviewed, and a significant 53% admitted to utilizing bribery or nepotism to acquire their employment.
On the other hand, among the 49% of candidates who took a written test or oral interview, the usage of unethical techniques like bribery or nepotism decreased to 41%.
The report read “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.”
The issue of bribery in our public service cannot be overemphasised. It was previously reported that public officials collected N721 billion in bribes in 2023. This amounts to around 0.35% of Nigeria’s GDP.
