Thousands of job seekers were left stranded on Monday after the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) recruitment pre-test portal repeatedly crashed, preventing many applicants from accessing the system.
The online exercise, scheduled for September 22, 2025, was meant to familiarise shortlisted candidates for the Superintendent cadre recruitment with the computer-based testing format. However, instead of logging in, most candidates encountered error messages, including “500 Internal Server Error.”
Across cybercafés, offices, and homes, applicants described hours of futile attempts to access the site. Some, like Abdullahi Kabiru from Nasarawa State, urged the NCS to conduct the test in batches to ease pressure on its servers. Others, such as Ojila Adole from Benue State, lamented overcrowding at cafés and linked the massive turnout to Nigeria’s rising unemployment.
“This is an international embarrassment,” said Etuk Effiong from Cross River, criticising the agency for poor preparation. Public affairs analyst Mike Divine echoed similar concerns, arguing that ICT failures in government recruitment processes had become routine. “It is worrisome that after decades of existence, the Nigeria Customs Service is still struggling with basic online testing,” he said.
Mcfredericks Akor Edache, Benue State Officer of Tracka, described the incident as evidence of a flawed recruitment system. He warned that continued inefficiencies could deepen public distrust and worsen Nigeria’s unemployment crisis. “Until the civil service addresses these irregularities, many Nigerians will believe that without connections, government jobs remain out of reach,” he said.
In response, the NCS admitted that “high traffic” caused the portal’s collapse. In a statement on its official Facebook page, the agency said its technical team was working to resolve the issue and advised candidates to keep trying.
The service has since rescheduled the pre-test for shortlisted Superintendent cadre applicants, directing them to use their National Identification Number (NIN) to check their new batch, date, and time.