60% of public sector workers were hired due to nepotism, bribery – NBS report

NAIRAMETRICS

Not less than 60% of public sector workers were hired due to nepotism, bribery or both between 2020 and 2023.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) disclosed this 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 report noted that 6 out of 10 successful candidates admitted to using either nepotism, bribery, or both to improve their chances of being recruited.

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 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.”

Formal assessments lower bribery rate

The report also noted 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.

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