By Matthew Ma
The education system in Nigeria is the institution most affected by nepotism, particularly when it comes to the younger generation. Admission to federal and unity schools is based on catchment areas, and the country’s regions are classified as either “educationally advantaged areas” or “educationally disadvantaged areas.”
“Nigeria is a country with enormous potential, but it’s held back by a persistent problem: favoritism, cronyism, and nepotism. These issues have plagued the nation for far too long, and they prevent talented and deserving individuals from reaching their full potential. It’s time for Nigeria to break free from this cycle and create a fair and equal society where everyone has a chance to succeed. In order to achieve success, we must display courage and strive for excellence wherever possible. It’s important to identify gifted Nigerian children, irrespective of their background, and harness their talents to the fullest. This is especially vital for achieving success in various domains such as football, governance, and recruitment.”
Martin Luther King Jr., an American civil rights leader, once conveyed the essence of an African Proverb that highlights the importance of brotherhood among humans. Despite humans’ ability to fly like birds and swim like fishes, Dr. King believed that we have yet to learn the simple art of walking the earth like brothers. He invited all people, regardless of their backgrounds or political affiliations, to embrace one another in a spirit of brotherhood. However, this concept has yet to be fully realized due to the presence of favoritism, cronyism, and nepotism in our nation. These factors have hindered the establishment and implementation of genuine brotherhood among people. But what is the meaning of these words and how do they affect us as a nation?
The corrupt practices of favoritism, cronyism, and nepotism have the potential to undermine the proper functioning of our nation and compromise the ability of public authorities to serve the public good. These terms have the tendency to hinder the effectiveness and efficiency of public service delivery and diminish public trust at local, state, and national levels. So, what exactly do these terms mean? Favoritism is the broadest of these related terms. It refers to the act of favoring a person not because they are doing the best job but rather because of some extraneous feature such as membership in a selected group or personal likes and dislikes. This is demonstrated in Nigeria through hiring, honoring, or awarding contracts. A related concept is patronage, which involves giving public service jobs to those who may have helped elect the person who has the power of appointment. The concept of favoritism in Nigerian government service are not new. In fact, a 2002 survey from the federal government’s Office of Personnel Management revealed that only 36.1 percent of federal workers believed promotions in their work units were based on merit, with many citing connections, partisanship, and other factors as playing a role.
Cronyism is a type of favoritism that involves showing preference to friends and associates. The saying, “It’s not what you know but who you know,” or blogger Danny Ferguson’s version, “It’s not what you don’t know; it’s who your college roommate knows,” perfectly describes this phenomenon. This term refers to granting benefits and special treatment to those individuals who are associated with us, usually a politician or business leader. Meritocracy does not play a role in this process. Cronies are typically less qualified than others, but they receive advantages based on their relationship with the person in question. Cronyism is a common practice in politics since politicians are drawn to individuals who share their views and are willing to promote their agenda. Proving cronyism in practice can be challenging. Sometimes, highly skilled appointees and nominees fail to fulfill their responsibilities and require assistance in achieving their goals, which could indicate cronyism. Despite efforts to eradicate cronyism from politics worldwide, it remains a prevalent issue, particularly in the appointment of elected officials and nominees. Transparency International reports that countries such as New Zealand, Finland, and Denmark have the lowest levels of cronyism and corruption. In contrast, countries with weak or corrupt governments, such as North Korea, Afghanistan, Somalia, and Nigeria, tend to have high levels of cronyism.
Nepotism is a type of preferential treatment in which a person in a position of power or authority uses their influence to provide an unfair advantage to a friend or family member. This kind of favoritism is unjust and can lead to conflicts of interest, as the private interests of the public official may take precedence over their duty to be impartial in their decision-making. Nepotism is a subset of favoritism that pertains explicitly to family members. When political parties recruit candidates for public office, both nepotism and cronyism can come into play. Public officials need to avoid nepotism and other forms of favoritism to ensure fairness and impartiality in their decision-making processes. The most effective form of nepotism involves building relationships with respected employees and colleagues to help identify and hire individuals with similar qualities. In politics, both nepotism and cronyism are often present when electing candidates for public office. There are two types of nepotism: entitlement and reciprocal. In reciprocal nepotism, a family member accepts a position out of financial dependence and a sense of obligation, where nepotism has become a norm in their family. In entitlement nepotism, a family member feels entitled to a position. Both types are equally wrong, as they deny someone else the opportunity to earn a job based on merit. Nepotism undermines merit-based decision-making and can lead to unprofessional behavior, disrespect for colleagues, and an abuse of power. This behavior is widely considered immoral as it gives an undue advantage to someone who has not earned it.
Nigeria is facing a significant challenge in the form of cronyism, nepotism, and favoritism, which have become deeply ingrained in its society. Over the past few months, there has been a concerning trend in Nigeria as media reports have surfaced alleging instances of nepotism and favoritism within the Nigerian Police Force (NPF). A case in point is the recent completion of the recruitment process for the Constable Cadre within the Nigeria Police Force. According to some reports, a total of 547,774 applications were received through the Police Recruitment portal, which opened on October 15th, 2023. Kaduna State had the highest number of applicants, with 40,272, followed by Adamawa State with 36,398 applications, and Borno State with 32,048. Benue State had 31,122, Katsina State had 30,202, Bauchi State had 30,604, and Kano had 30,004, while Anambra had the lowest number, with 1,664 applications. However, the final list revealed discrepancies, with some states having fewer representatives than others. Other reports suggest that certain ethnic groups have been given preferential treatment in the recruitment process due to their connections to senior officers. Furthermore, there are claims that individuals from outside certain States have been recruited in some States without belonging to those States, which is cause for concern. If these allegations are indeed true, they could have severe consequences for the proper functioning of our law enforcement agencies.
The education system in Nigeria is the institution most affected by nepotism, particularly when it comes to the younger generation. Admission to federal and unity schools is based on catchment areas, and the country’s regions are classified as either “educationally advantaged areas” or “educationally disadvantaged areas.” While it may have been intended to level the playing field and ensure that all parts of the country have equal opportunities to develop potential leaders, the government still needs to provide the necessary infrastructure to help the disadvantaged areas compete. As a result, the quota system is still in place, which perpetuates exploitation and leads to a concentration of average and mediocre professionals in certain institutions instead of a merit-based system. Nigeria is home to a significant number of young individuals whose aspirations have been stifled by nepotism. Many of them have likely had to compromise on their preferred academic pursuits in order to attend university. Consequently, numerous individuals need to be fulfilled by their chosen paths and may even graduate without a clear sense of direction. Conversely, their peers who were able to study their desired subjects may not have possessed greater intelligence or passion but instead benefited from quotas or connections to influential figures.
In Nigeria, the admissions process for professional courses such as medicine, pharmacy, and law is not solely based on merit, with only 40% of admitted students earning their spot through merit. A significant portion of the remaining 60% gain admission through the quota system, while others are children of professors, doctors, or politicians. Unfortunately, the situation has worsened as universities now use more random procedures to select students for admission, such as canceling the Post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Exams (PUTME). Recently, the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) admitted to errors in the Computer-Based Test (CBT) for its new Department of Medicine and Surgery. Despite the CBT’s ability to provide immediate results, it took two weeks for FUTO to release them. This delay is unacceptable in any sane system, but fraudulent activities continue to plague Nigeria’s education system.
Rev. Ma, S.J, is a Jesuit Catholic priest and PhD candidate in public and social policy at St. Louis University in the state of Missouri, USA.
