Approximately 60 Nigerians recruited by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) between June and August 2023 remain in prolonged uncertainty, having received employment offers but not being deployed.
The recruits, drawn from all 36 states, say the delay now stretching over 16 months has caused loss of income, emotional distress, and serious disruptions to their personal and professional lives.
Benedict Ali Ojobo, a Benue State indigene, said he received his CBN appointment letter on August 28, 2023, after completing all recruitment requirements, including aptitude tests, interviews, and medical screening.
“I missed a promotion exam to Assistant Director, Pharmaceutical Services, because it coincided with my documentation date at CBN headquarters in Abuja. I lost a promotion from Chief Pharmacist to Assistant Director in October 2023,” Ojobo said.
He added that after resigning from his previous job, opening a pension account, and providing guarantors, he has been waiting for training and posting since October 2023.
“This situation affected me deeply. I became depressed and started experiencing anxiety and heart palpitations,” he said.
Documents obtained by Newsmen show that the recruits formally wrote to the CBN Governor in a letter dated September 20, 2024, detailing the impact of the delay.
“The financial implications have been severe: loss of income for 13–16 months, difficulty meeting basic needs such as rent, food, and healthcare, inability to pay school fees or support aged parents, and emotional distress and anxiety,” the letter, signed by Auta Godwin on behalf of the group, stated.
Francisca Idachaba from Kogi State said she resigned from her previous job after receiving the CBN offer.
“I completed all tests and documentation, including resigning from my job, yet we were never called to resume.
The emotional and financial impact has been very hard on me,” she said.
Pangdul Geoffrey-Kunda from Plateau State described the silence following the offer as psychologically draining. “The day I received my offer, my family celebrated. We saw it as a turning point. What followed was silence, and that silence became a burden,” he said.
Esther Nuhu, a former staff member of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, also resigned after only four months to comply with the CBN offer but has not been deployed. Similarly, Yakubu Yarima, a UK-trained professional from Gombe State, resigned his job in good faith but remains unposted.
Development expert Musa Abdullahi condemned the delay, calling on the Federal Government to intervene. “Government should either recall them or compensate them adequately.
Many of them have suffered for no just reason,” he said.
Efforts to obtain comments from the CBN were unsuccessful,text messages sent to Hakama Sidi-Ali, since January 24, 2026, went unanswered.
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