Original report
A 2023 Premium Times investigation revealed that officials at the Federal Character Commission were selling federal government job slots to applicants, charging between ₦200,000 and ₦5,000,000 depending on the agency and grade level. Undercover reporters posing as applicants were quoted specific prices by FCC officials for positions in agencies including NNPC, CBN, FIRS, and NIMC. The FCC is legally meant to ensure equitable representation of all Nigerian states in federal employment — instead, the agency has become a clearing house for who can afford to pay for a job. Applications from qualified candidates who did not pay were silently dropped. The investigation documented cash payments, transaction records, and recorded conversations with named FCC officials. The chairman of the FCC at the time refused to respond to the findings. Nigerians who paid thousands of naira in application fees and travelled to Abuja for interviews were competing against people who had already bought the position before the interview even began.