Netizens, on Friday, alleged that job openings at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited are reserved for children of the rich and politicians. This comes after an announcement on NNPC recruitment was posted on the company’s verified X page with a follow-up announcement that applicants were experiencing difficulties in accessing the recruitment website.
A check by Arbiterz also showed that the recruitment website is not accessible at it returned privacy error.
The NNPCL, however, said it is facing an unexpected technical challenge on Friday after announcing the new round of job vacancies.
According to the state oil company, the rush of applicants to the NNPC Ltd. career page led to a significant slowdown in load times. This has frustrated many hopefuls who were eager to apply.
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Earlier in the day, NNPC had posted the eagerly anticipated announcement, which quickly garnered widespread attention. However, within a few hours, numerous applicants took to social media to report issues accessing the application page.
This surge in traffic, according to NNPC Ltd., overwhelmed the site, leading to slow response times and, in some cases, complete inaccessibility.
Applicant Reactions
The frustration expressed by applicants was palpable on social media platforms. Many expressed doubts about the authenticity of the recruitment.
A tweep, @Olaghidey, wrote, “The working one was sent to children and relatives of senators and honourable,” suggesting that such jobs are reserved for children of politicians and the rich.
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Another tweep, @Ayo_Snr, who corroborated @Olaghidey’s claim, wrote, “They don’t send them sites to click and log in. Their parents only put a call across.”
@Paul_bem wrote, “Just so people don’t say it wasn’t made public.”
Immediate Action and Reassurance
NNPC has assured applicants that their technical team is working around the clock to resolve the issues. The corporation emphasised that despite the current technical difficulties, the application deadline of August 20, 2024, remains unchanged. This extension provides ample time for all interested candidates to complete their applications once the site is fully operational again.
In response to the growing concerns, NNPC promptly addressed the issue with a follow-up tweet:
“Due to unprecedented traffic to the NNPC Ltd. career page from applicants applying for vacancies, the site is currently experiencing slow load times.
Our technicians are working diligently to rectify the problem as quickly as possible.
Please be assured that the application process deadline remains August 20, 2024.”
Moving Forward
As NNPC works to restore full functionality to its career page, the incident underscores the importance of robust web infrastructure, particularly during high-traffic events like job announcements. The company’s swift response to the issue reflects its commitment to transparency and support for potential employees. However, the company may need to do more to court the trust of Nigerians with its recruitment process.
Applicants are advised to monitor NNPC’s official social media channels for further updates on the situation and to remain patient as technical teams address the problems.
The overwhelming interest in NNPC recruitment is an indication of the competitive nature of employment opportunities in the energy and oil sectors. Players in these sectors are advised to ensure transparency in their recruitment processes.
