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Job Racketeering in Nigerian Public Institutions a.k.a. Slot Buying
Published
1 year agoon

When it is time to fill up the vacancies, we see announcements on the federal agency websites. News websites and blogs equally pick up the stories. Forums such as Nairaland will see multiple threads concerning the ‘latest recruitment openings’ into so, so, and so Nigeria Commission. While many rejoice, some are out to condemn the recruitment system for being incompetent, biased, and susceptible to influence by the highest bidder. Will racketeering ever allow the most
qualified candidates to secure the job? What Nigerians commonly call slot buying is the order of the day during recruitment into the civil service. Even a legit slot is hard to come by. When you find one, depending on the available position, a willing applicant is looking at spending at least
300,000 and up to 2 million naira.
Work and School,, a Nigerian-based website that specializes in picking up recruitment announcements found that job racketeering is the virus discouraging the right talents from
applying for a spot in public service. If we do not have skilled minds and hands in public offices, how can we experience the ‘change’ different government administrations have been preaching years after the country’s independence? Agreed, a qualified candidate for the job is not the sole solution, but it could go a long way in national service.
Nigeria and Its Middleman Mentality
Nigerians love to take advantage. It also seems that from the top to the lowest civil servants, many want a cut. That is why, if an applicant manages to find a slot vendor, they are typically
middlemen. The honest ones will say, “I know someone who knows someone” (referring to those in positions who can fix in names where the beholders are ready to commit something ‘cash’ to be shortlisted). Someone will want the applicant to believe that they are in control of the
shortlisting of names, and can guarantee their bidder’s name.
This takes us to the term ‘arbitrage’, which Work and School found to be the new business of recruitment in Nigeria. This is also the reason for expensive slots, especially concerning federal jobs. Here, Servant B buys multiple slots beforehand from Servant A, and then retails them for
three to five times the amount—that is the arbitrage of recruitment into Nigerian federal agencies with good returns.
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As for the cost of slots, it is typically at least 300,000 naira and as much as 2 million naira, and sometimes more. Depending on the vendor, the money may be deducted from the applicant’s monthly salary until the payment is complete.
As for the payment method, it is usually in cash. This is to eliminate any form of transaction history linking the slot vendor to the candidate. It’s a measure against ‘just in case’ they get caught.
Job Seekers at the Mercy of Employment Scammers
While looking for a federal job, desperation might easily set in. This means that applicants are more likely to get scammed. Applicants who are new to the system eventually learn that Nigeria’s recruitment is pay to play, and are tempted to jump on any opportunity that is captioned “Pay now and secure a slot”. Knowing it is probably the only way to get the job, they helplessly make transfers to faceless people on social media, forums, fake websites advertising
slots, etc. You would not blame them. As a Nairalander, CJStarz wrote on this thread www.nairaland.com/7895196/seriously-need-federal-government-job, “When you are desperate
for something, you are prone to falling into [the] wrong hands.”
What is the Federal Government Doing About It and What is the Way Forward?
Well, yes, the Nigerian government is doing something, at least on paper. Even that is without sabotage. For example, the Premium Times had reported how Nigerian lawmakers probing job racketeering were extorting money from agencies.
READ ALSO: JUST IN: Lagos Police Receive Test Results Of Teenager Allegedly Raped By Officer
A few have been caught in the act. In 2020, a serving Deputy Director of the Federal Character Commission, FCC, Alh. Ahmad Balarabe was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment by the State
High Court 3 sitting in Gusau, Zamfara State for defrauding unsuspecting job seekers of N7 million. In 2023, the House of Representatives ordered the arrest of a former desk officer in
charge of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) at the Federal Character Commission (FCC), Haruna Kolo, over job racketeering allegations.
Just more good news: the Senate plans to enact a law prescribing stiffer sanctions to stem job racketeering and disregard for the federal character principles in employment. This was
reported by the chairman, the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-governmental Affairs, Allwell Onyesoh, at a meeting with the management of the Federal Character
Commission in Abuja. He further added that “… you must put some sanctions if you want things
to work; we are considering stiffer penalties; there must be a consequence for everything.”
Slot Buying Is Not All the Problem But…
If applicants are not getting recruited into civil service, it’s not a problem restricted to job racketeering alone. In Nigeria, a federal agency may be looking for just 5,000 applicants, only to see 1.5 million applicants. For example, during the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps,
NSCDC, recruitment in 2022. about 1.5 million applications were registered on the website.
“Those who met the requirements on age and height were about 750,000 and were asked to upload their certificates. A total of 217,000 applicants uploaded their certificates of which 113,000 were shortlisted to write the CBT but only 53,116 eventually sat for the test. It is from these that 5,000 were picked among the successful ones.” This was declared by the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, at the Policy Dialogue on Entrenching Transparency in Public Service Recruitment in Nigeria, organised by the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria, an institution of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Relates Offences Commission
(ICPC) in Abuja.
Poor qualifications submitted by the applicants are another reason many applicants fail to get the job. Sometimes, this issue is coupled with candidates’ failure to follow simple instructions.
Internal recruitments are also a cause, whereby no public announcements are made regarding vacant positions. This is often the case with the CBN (Central Bank of Nigeria). The CBN admits that some recruitments are internally done while some are publicly announced inviting qualified
candidates to apply.
We will not even go into ancestral influence. Some agencies are known family businesses, whereby vacant positions are shared amongst the kins of existing officers. Such cases are different from slot buying, except the officers might show appreciation in cash or kind.
Considering these unfair realities, it pays better to learn a good skill and be your own boss at the moment instead of focusing your dreams on a potentially slot-based government job. We can only hope for the government to get rid of the scrupulous elements whose acts of profit before service continue to sideline the best talents, encourage incompetent civil service, and consequently torment the growth of Nigeria.
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FG Makes History Compulsory Subject In Primary, Secondary Schools
Published
4 hours agoon
September 17, 2025By
Editor
The Federal Government has announced the reintroduction of Nigerian History as a compulsory subject from primary to senior secondary school, 16 years after it was removed from the curriculum in 2009, under the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua administration.
The Federal Ministry of Education announced this in a statement posted on its X handle on Wednesday.
It said the reintroduction aimed at strengthening national identity, unity, and patriotism among diverse citizens.
“For the first time in decades, Nigerian pupils will study History continuously from Primary 1 to JSS3, while SSS1–3 students will take the new Civic and Heritage Studies, integrating History with Civic Education.
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“Primary 1–6: Pupils will learn about Nigeria’s origins, heroes, rulers, culture, politics, economy, religions, colonial rule, and post-independence governance.
“JSS1–3: Students will study civilisations, empires, trade, European contacts, amalgamation, independence, democracy, and civic values,” the statement read.
The Ministry said the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Alausa, CON, together with the Honourable Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sai’d Ahmad, expressed profound gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for championing the reform.
“They emphasised that History is not merely a record of the past, but a vital foundation for shaping responsible and patriotic citizens.”
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According to the Ministers, the reform is a priceless gift to the nation, reconnecting children with their roots while inspiring pride, unity, and commitment to national development.
The Ministry has released the revised curriculum and will retrain teachers, provide resources, and strengthen monitoring.
The former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua-led government in 2009 removed history from Nigeria’s basic education curriculum.
READ ALSO:Lagos Begins Monitoring As Schools Resume
Then, it was justified that students were avoiding it with the claim that there were few jobs for history graduates, and that there was dearth of history teachers.
In 2022, the Ministry of Education under former Minister Adamu Adamu inaugurated the reintroduction of the subject.
The Ministry also trained history teachers at the basic education level in Abuja.
However, history has always remained optional in the few schools that offer it.
News
Police Announce Burial Arrangements For Ex-IG Arase
Published
4 hours agoon
September 17, 2025By
Editor
The Nigeria Police Force has released the burial arrangements for former Inspector-General of Police Solomon Ehigiator Arase, who died on August 31, 2025, at the age of 69.
Arase, who served as the 18th indigenous Inspector-General of Police, was described by the Force as a dedicated officer remembered for his leadership, philanthropy and commitment to police reforms.
According to the programme of events signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, released on Wednesday, the burial rites will begin in Abuja on September 24 with a Day of Tribute at the Nigeria Police Resource Centre, Jabi.
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A requiem mass will follow on September 26 at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Maitama, while a lying-in-state is scheduled for September 27 at his Abuja residence. His body will then depart for Benin City, Edo State.
In his hometown, Sabongida Ora, a candlelight procession is slated for September 29.
A valedictory session organised by the Edo State judiciary and the Nigerian Bar Association will hold at the Edo State High Court, Benin, on October 2.
Other activities include a service of songs at St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Airport Road, Benin, on October 2, followed by a family lying-in-state.
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The funeral mass will take place on October 3 at St. Paul’s Catholic Church, after which interment will be held at his private residence in Benin City.
A reception is planned at the Victor Uwaifo Creative Hub, while a thanksgiving mass will round off the events on October 5.
Arase, who held national honours including CFR, and was also a PhD holder, was appointed Inspector-General of Police in April 2015 and retired in June 2016.
He died at Cedarcrest Hospital in Abuja after a brief illness.

The Lagos State Government, through the Office of Education Quality Assurance, has commenced the monitoring of schools for compliance with standards as students resumed activities this week.
The OEQA spokesperson, Adepeju Adeyemi, said in a Wednesday statement sent to newsmen that the inspection began on Monday across the state for schools below the tertiary level.
The monitoring team, led by the Coordinating Director of OEQA, Remi Abdul, visited several schools, including Dolphin Senior High School, Lagos Island, where the team was received by the Principal/Director, Comfort Agunlejika.
Abdul explained that the purpose of the monitoring was to ensure compliance with the approved resumption date as stated in the Year 2025/2026 Harmonised Academic Calendar.
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The PUNCH reports that basic and secondary schools in Lagos resumed on September 15, 2025, for the First Term of the Y2025/2026 session.
According to the approved 2025/2026 harmonised calendar made available to our correspondent, the First Half of the term is scheduled for September 15 to October 31, 2025, with a duration of 34 days. The second half will commence from November 10 to December 19, 2025, with a duration of 34 days. In between the halves are Open Day and Mid-Term Break.
Abdul noted that the monitoring team deployed was also verifying whether school administrators held pre-resumption meetings and whether key teaching and statutory records, such as lesson notes, diaries, and makeshift attendance registers, were in place for the smooth take-off of the new academic session.
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“While addressing SSS 3 students, Abdul encouraged them to take their academics seriously, noting that how well they perform this term would determine their transition to higher education. He urged them to read well, stay focused, avoid skipping classes and begin early preparation for their WASSCE examinations,” the statement said.
He also encouraged teachers to remain dedicated and committed to delivering quality education.
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