The Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) has closed its recruitment portal after receiving an extraordinary 1,914,349 applications for just 30,000 positions across four paramilitary agencies.
The portal, which opened on Monday, 14 July, officially closed on Sunday, 10 August 2025, the Board announced in a statement on Monday.
“The official recruitment portal for the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board is now closed. We thank all applicants for their interest and commitment to serving with honour, integrity, and national pride,” the statement read.
The recruitment drive covered the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigeria Correctional Service, Federal Fire Service, and Nigeria Immigration Service.
With almost two million applications, only a fraction of candidates are likely to be selected — a reflection of Nigeria’s persistently high unemployment rate.
Data from the portal, reviewed by Anchor News Online, revealed that Kogi State recorded the highest number of applicants at 116,378, followed by Kaduna (114,707), Benue (110,776), Kano (89,501) and Niger (79,616). Bayelsa had the lowest number with 11,693 applications, trailed by Lagos (14,227), Rivers (22,244), Ebonyi (23,633) and Delta (28,016).
The Board said shortlisted candidates would be contacted shortly with further instructions.
“Please monitor your email and text messages over the coming weeks for notifications. We also encourage you to regularly check the portal and our social media handles for important updates,” the statement added.
