Nigeria’s unemployment crisis was once again laid bare as the **Federal Polytechnic, Taraba**, revealed that **4,489 job seekers applied for just 98 vacancies** recently advertised by the institution.
The Rector, **Dr. Mohammed Usman**, disclosed the figures while briefing the Governing Council during its 5th meeting at the Rector’s Conference Room in Bali, Taraba State. He explained that the vacancies, spread across academic and non-academic categories, attracted an overwhelming number of applications that reflect the grim reality of job scarcity in the country.
> “We are committed to ensuring that only competent and deserving candidates are considered. The recruitment process will be fair, transparent, and merit-driven,” Dr. Usman assured.
The vacancies were advertised in *Daily Trust* and *Punch Newspapers* on July 2, 2025, with applications closing on August 13, 2025. Investigations revealed that applicants came from across the country—including Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna, Benue, Edo, and Enugu—underscoring the desperation among Nigeria’s unemployed graduates.
Some applicants interviewed expressed frustration, with one first-class Mechanical Engineering graduate lamenting the “unbearable competition for survival.” Another, with a Master’s in Business Administration, described Nigeria’s job market as “a war zone where luck matters more than competence.”
The Governing Council commended the polytechnic’s management for following Federal Ministry of Education guidelines, stressing that transparency in recruitment would not only safeguard the institution’s credibility but also serve as a model for other public institutions.
Experts say the staggering ratio of applicants to vacancies is symptomatic of Nigeria’s worsening unemployment crisis, with **youth unemployment estimated above 40 percent**, according to National Bureau of Statistics data. Development analysts have urged government at all levels to create sustainable jobs and strengthen vocational and technical education to equip graduates with entrepreneurial skills.
Dr. Olaniyi, a lecturer in Development Studies at Iree Polytechnic, warned that unless urgent interventions are made, the situation could fuel further frustration, crime, and migration.
Meanwhile, the Rector assured that shortlisted candidates would be contacted directly and cautioned applicants against falling prey to fraudsters exploiting their desperation.
The development, analysts say, reinforces the urgent need for Nigeria to rethink its employment and education policies or risk worsening socio-economic instability.
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