10,000 to 15,000 Nigeria graduate trainees applied for a single position in 2024

According to a survey by TestAssessify in 2024, an average of 10,000 to 15,000  graduate trainees in Nigeria applied for a single position in major corporate organisations nationwide in the country.

This surge in applications highlights the ongoing unemployment challenges in the country, as only one percent of applicants successfully make it to the interview stage, illustrating the intense competition and rigorous selection process.

The survey was conducted in an analysis of over 200,000 applications and assessments conducted in 2024, to equip HR professionals and job applicants with insights to enhance recruitment processes and better prepare for the competitive job market in Nigeria.

The findings underscore the dual role of technology in recruitment, which not only streamlines processes but also introduces new complexities, such as age-based biases and disparities in candidate performance across different stages of the hiring process.

The reality of graduate recruitment in Nigeria

Recruiting top talent is often likened to finding a needle in a haystack, a reality many recruiters face today, the report notes.

These findings challenge some common hiring assumptions and highlight significant gaps between employer expectations and applicant readiness.

For graduate positions, most employers seek candidates under 28 years old, equipped with fundamental skills such as communication, problem-solving, analytical abilities, and teamwork and collaboration.

Dayo Amusu, CTO/ Co-founder of Test Assessify, advises, “If you started university late and consequently graduate at an age above the minimum age requirement, you may want to consider positions other than those for graduate trainees, or  apply for jobs in other states of the country”.

“Interestingly, what we see is that most companies do not meet their allocation regardless of the volume of applications, hence applicants should be realistic and read the eligibility requirements because the selection process is a yes or no”.

“If you have a second-class upper in Economics, you will be in competition with others in the same situation, so its important to stand out with any work experience of some sort”.

“Unfortunately, in the next five years the volume of applications may not change, meaning that the likelihood to absorb more people will still be slim, so search now for roles you have a better chance at”.

Insights from the data

One of the key insights from the data reveals that there is a negligible performance gap between second-class upper and lower-degree holders, while first-class graduates consistently outperform their peers in pre-employment tests.

The report also highlights a significant drop-off rate, with over 30 per cent of applicants abandoning the recruitment process at each stage. This trend, coupled with the observed disparity between online and physical test performance, raises important questions about the reliability of remote assessments and the need for proctoring tools or in-person evaluations.

Other findings indicate that applicants who graduate from Federal universities make up the larger share. Others are:

• Dominance of accountancy applications: Accountancy dominates applications, followed closely by STEM fields.
• Mismatch in applications: Two-thirds of candidates apply despite not meeting job requirements.
• Age as a disqualification factor: Age, rather than class of degree, is the primary reason for disqualification in graduate entry roles.
• Attendance at assessments: 70 per cent of those who qualify show up for the next assessment stage.
• Private universities excel in online tests: While federal universities produce nearly half of all applicants, private universities show stronger outcomes in key metrics, such as online test pass rates.