By Babatunde Ayedoju
Engrafted in the mind of almost every Nigerian, actually almost every human being, is the notion that one must work hard to avoid falling into lack and possibly poverty. After all, he who does not work should not eat.
However, experience has shown that in the search for work that can put food on their tables, many Nigerians fall into the hands of people who defraud them, taking advantage of the fact that these unsuspecting youths are in desperate need of employment. The most vulnerable, certainly, are graduates in search of white-collar jobs.
One of them was Julius Akinola, a young graduate in his mid-20s, who had just completed the mandatory one-year National Youth Service and was in search of a well-paying job. Julius had just travelled home to see his family and was on his way back to his base to continue his search for a job. Then he ran into a friend from secondary school who was an aide to a notable politician in that community.
The friend told him of a government recruitment exercise coming up soon and offered to help the unsuspecting Julius get a slot. All that Julius needed was to pay N20,000 (that was in 2010) and expect an employment letter soonest.
Believing his friend, Julius borrowed the money from a family member and paid it to his friend. Days became weeks and there was no job in sight. Julius asked his friend, but the friend kept promising that the employment would soon take place, until what had happened became clear – it was a scam.
As for the money that Julius borrowed from a family member, it was gone, never to be retrieved!
Many stories, one experience
This is just one out of many such stories. A businessman, Abraham Olayinka, shared a story of how he tried to secure a job for one of his friends in a paramilitary agency shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic, using one of his contacts in the agency.
He said the contact person requested a sum of money, which he paid. Thereafter, the person requested another payment, which made him smell a rat. He said he refused to pay the second time, and at the end of the day there was no job in sight.
His words, “I have other cases of friends who wanted to get Federal Government jobs, but they ended up being deceived by people they approached for assistance. Usually, these people will ask for payment, and they ask for small amounts most of the time, without issuing any receipt. As a result, even if you want to raise an alarm, there will be no evidence.
“There was even a time someone promised me a job in the oil sector for N2 million. I told the person I did not study any course along that line, but he said that even if I studied my native language in school, he could help me get the job. I could not afford to commit such an amount of money because of what had happened to other friends. Later, another person told me that even if I had paid this person the N2 million, I might still not get the job.”
A teacher, Suleiman Usman, also told a pathetic story of how he approached a friend who was connected to a politician to help him secure a Federal Government job. He said he was referred to someone who asked him to pay N1.5 million, which he paid. He said after paying the money, he was told to wait for the employment, which never came.
No doubt, the high rate of unemployment is a major factor that makes Nigerian youths vulnerable to situations like these. For example, according to the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, a 2020 statistical analysis by the International Labour Organisation put the estimated youth unemployment rate in Nigeria at almost 14.2 per cent.
The Bureau cited another data set which revealed that the youth unemployment rate in Nigeria in the second quarter of 2020 was 27.1 per cent, indicating that about 21,764,614 (21.7 million) Nigerian youths remained unemployed at that time.
“Coincidentally, Nigeria’s unemployed youth of 13.1 million is more than the population of Rwanda and several other African countries. Youth population is also about 64 per cent of the total unemployed Nigerians, suggesting that the most agile working-class population in the country remains unemployed,” the Bureau reported.
Seven signs to watch out for
Recently, the Federal Character Commission identified seven common mistakes Nigerians make in the course of job hunting, which end up jeopardising their chances of getting legitimate government jobs, while warning applicants to strictly adhere to official recruitment procedures and remain vigilant against fraudulent recruitment schemes.
The Commission pointed out that many job seekers ignorantly reduce their chances of success by relying on unverified recruitment information, submitting inaccurate details or failing to comply with stipulated application guidelines.
The seven major mistakes identified by the FCC included applying through unverified sources, paying individuals to secure government jobs, ignoring application requirements, missing application deadlines, providing incorrect information, failing to prepare for post-application assessments and assuming every advertised vacancy is genuine.
The Commission disclosed that fraudsters often create fake recruitment portals, social media advertisements and misleading messages to deceive unsuspecting applicants, advising Nigerians to verify all recruitment announcements through recognised government platforms before submitting applications or personal information.
The agency also warned applicants against anyone demanding payment or claiming to have the influence to guarantee employment in any Federal Government institution. According to the FCC, while concerns about fairness in government recruitment should be taken seriously, all recruitment exercises into Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies are expected to follow established procedures, and anyone requesting money to facilitate employment is acting illegally.
Applicants must have eagle eyes
The FCC equally advised applicants to carefully review eligibility criteria, including educational qualifications, age limits, professional certifications, work experience and all required supporting documents before submitting their applications.
It also encouraged candidates to submit applications well before the closing dates, warning that last-minute submissions could result in technical issues, incomplete applications or missed deadlines. The Commission emphasised the importance of accuracy, urging applicants to thoroughly cross-check their personal information, qualifications and contact details, noting that errors could affect verification and eventual eligibility.
Even after the application stage, the FCC cautioned prospective applicants to prepare adequately for aptitude tests, interviews and other recruitment assessments, instead of assuming the process ends after submitting an application.
The Commission also reminded Nigerians that not every job vacancy advertised online is authentic, urging them to avoid offers that promise guaranteed employment, request payments before processing applications or create unnecessary urgency.
The Commission noted that verified vacancies from federal institutions are published through its recruitment platform, enabling applicants to access authentic opportunities before proceeding to the respective recruiting agencies’ official application portals.
The FCC urged Nigerians to remain vigilant by verifying recruitment information, following official application guidelines, avoiding fraudulent agents, providing accurate information and applying only through legitimate government channels to improve their chances of securing genuine public service employment.
An ex-banker and ICT expert, Mr Victor Adeyemo, identified factors such as lack of due diligence and poor exposure to computer operations and the internet, poor orientation about the job market, and the get-rich-quick syndrome or eagerness to escape poverty as issues making youths vulnerable to job scammers. He also identified lack of mentoring and poor networking with peers as contributing factors.
Talking about how to recognise a fake job alert, he said, “If it is an online advert, confirm or cross-check the link through job-site experts, and consult people you know in the profession advertised. Also, you should make an online enquiry about the organisation that advertised the job.”
Adeyemo advised employment seekers to pray before applying for jobs, and said that the moment a recruitment process involves the exchange of cash, they should flee.
While warning job seekers to have a choice of the job they want and be specific, Adeyemo warned that they should not be in a hurry to take up a job but should develop skills and expose themselves to hands-on practicals.
He also advised that they should watch out for job placements on trusted and tested platforms, job networks and bodies of professionals similar or relevant to their chosen careers.
On how to improve employment in Nigeria, he said, “The government should encourage partnership between industries and tertiary institutions in Nigeria. To make this work, there should be mentoring and apprenticeship for students and business-related courses during holidays and industrial attachment.
“The government should also create a bridge school for technical and vocational studies by public and private institutions. Likewise, there should be a declaration of a state of emergency on corruption and education in Nigeria. Likewise, there should be a serious engagement of the NYSC scheme and compensation/support for new inventions and innovations.”