The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and the Federal Character Commission have agreed to establish a Joint Task Force to address widespread irregularities in public sector recruitment, including job racketeering and lopsided employment practices.
The decision was announced on Thursday during a meeting between ICPC Chairman Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN) and FCC Acting Executive Chairman Dr. Kayode Oladele at the FCC headquarters in Abuja.
Dr. Aliyu stated that the collaboration responds to mounting complaints from young Nigerians who allege being excluded from job opportunities due to nepotism and backdoor recruitment.
“We are seeing a lot of job racketeering in the public sector,” Dr. Aliyu said. “Almost daily, ICPC receives complaints from young Nigerians who were denied jobs because recruitment was done through the backdoor. Some top officials give jobs mostly to people from their villages or states, and that is unfair.”
He revealed alarming cases of employment imbalances, including one instance where a single official allocated 94 job slots exclusively to candidates from his state. In another example, one geopolitical zone reportedly received 189 job placements over two years—more than double the allocation for other regions.
“In one agency, a state accounts for 65.72% of total staff, while others have less than 1%. In another, one state has 12.9% of the workforce, while some states have as low as 0.4%. Is this fair?” he questioned.
Dr. Aliyu warned that such disparities risk eroding public trust in government institutions and deepening disillusionment among qualified job seekers.
The proposed Joint Task Force will monitor recruitment exercises, share intelligence, and prevent employment abuses before they occur. Dr. Aliyu urged the immediate formalization of the partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding within two weeks.
“This partnership is about ensuring equity, fairness, and justice. It is also about restoring confidence in public recruitment systems,” he said. “Let us show Nigerians that institutions can work together to build a better future.”
Additionally, the ICPC will continue conducting system reviews across ministries, departments, and agencies and share findings with the FCC to facilitate corrective measures.