Major opposition parties have criticised the Federal Government for its failure to address the deepening economic hardship in the country, citing the overwhelming number of job applications recently received by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) as a direct result of government policies.
Last week, the NCS revealed that it had received 573,519 applications for just 3,927 available positions in its 2024/2025 recruitment exercise, which opened only a week prior.
The Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, had previously confirmed that the Federal Government approved the recruitment of 3,927 officers into the NCS.
According to NCS’s National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, the overwhelming number of applicants came from various educational backgrounds, including university graduates, holders of Higher National Diplomas, and even individuals with secondary school certificates.
Opposition leaders are attributing this surge in applications to the inability of the current government to create a conducive environment for businesses and resolve the escalating cost of living.
In separate interviews with The PUNCH, both the Labour Party (LP) and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) placed the blame squarely on President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
They argue that the government’s failure to stimulate entrepreneurship and alleviate poverty has pushed many Nigerians into desperate job-seeking situations.
LP’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, described the Customs recruitment turnout as “scandalous”, emphasising the significant disparity between the number of available positions and the number of applicants.
He lamented, “They are looking for 3,927 candidates and almost 600,000 persons applied for the job. That means over half a million people are applying for Customs jobs. It tells you the level of poverty, insecurity, and decadence that this government has introduced in the last year”.
He further criticised the lack of employment opportunities in other government sectors, adding, “Meanwhile, that is only for the Customs. If other agencies should open their platforms for employment, probably the whole of Nigeria will go there. When last have they been employed in the ministries? Just as somebody clearly stated, out of that half a million people who applied for Customs, we can be sure that over 90 per cent of the slots have already been given to people with connections. This is the situation we find ourselves in”.
Similarly, the National Publicity Secretary of the NNPP, Ladipo Johnson, expressed dismay over the situation and laid the blame on President Tinubu’s administration for prioritising revenue generation over the welfare of citizens.
While Johnson refrained from speculating on the possibility of slots being reserved for certain candidates, he stressed the urgency of addressing economic challenges.
“One thing we can be sure of is that most of these applicants are people who are not interested in the customs career, but just needed a job badly. They are just eager to get something done and make money”, he said.
Johnson further criticised the government’s focus on revenue rather than addressing the broader economic issues.
“The only thing he understands is revenue. He believes that the more money the government collects, the better his government is doing. Meanwhile, he is not looking at the other side. When you are collecting, what are they using it for? Is it for the welfare of the people? The answer is no.
“The government has to look for a solution to the problems of the economy. If the cost of living and inflation come down, it will encourage private entrepreneurs to create jobs. Only then can we start seeing some improvements and avoid desperate situations like the one we see in the recruitment process of the Nigerian Customs”.
