Nigeria’s Brutal Job Market: Only 1% of Graduates Make It to the Interview Stage, 2025 Report Reveals

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A staggering new report analysing over 200,000 graduate job applications and assessments has laid bare the harsh realities of Nigeria’s recruitment landscape. With over 600,000 graduates entering the job market each year, competition is fiercer than ever—yet only 1% of applicants successfully reach the interview stage.

The Graduate Recruitment Snapshot 2025, compiled from real hiring data, reveals that just 33% of candidates meet the minimum selection criteria, while only 32% of qualified applicants pass pre-employment assessments. These figures underscore a widening gap between academic qualifications and real-world employability, forcing recruiters to rethink traditional hiring strategies.

One of the most surprising findings is that a Second Class Upper (2:1) degree provides little advantage over a Second Class Lower (2:2) in job test performance. While First Class graduates consistently outperform their peers, employers are shifting towards skills-based hiring, prioritising problem-solving, communication, and analytical abilities over degree classifications.

The report also highlights a massive dropout rate throughout the hiring process, with over 30% of candidates abandoning job applications at various stages. Common disqualifiers include strict age limits, as many employers prefer candidates under 26, ignoring systemic delays in Nigeria’s education system that often push students past this threshold.

Perhaps most alarming is the ethical concern raised by integrity tests, which found that 66% of candidates displayed openness to unethical financial practices, signaling a troubling normalisation of fraud and corruption in the job-seeking process. This discovery has led to calls for stronger ethics training and integrity screening in recruitment.

For employers, the report stresses the need to modernise hiring practices, recommending AI-driven assessments, Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), and structured integrity tests to refine talent selection. Recruiters are also urged to ditch outdated degree requirements and instead focus on skills, adaptability, and practical experience when evaluating candidates.

For job seekers, the message is clear: a degree alone is no longer enough. The report emphasises the importance of upskilling, mastering pre-employment tests, gaining hands-on experience, and improving soft skills to stand out in an increasingly selective job market. Candidates are also encouraged to diversify their job search, explore new industries, and embrace continuous learning to improve their chances of success.

With unemployment rates soaring above 50%, this report serves as a wake-up call to both employers and graduates. In Nigeria’s evolving job market, only those who adapt, upskill, and align with industry needs will secure opportunities in an era of intense competition.