In an investigative report, an undercover reporter at the Daily Nigerian found he could easily attain a fraudulent qualification to get accepted in Nigeria’s National Youth Service Scheme (NYSC). He details a racketeering syndicate using agents to take payments for the fraudulent qualifications, which are then used to attain jobs—some in the civil service or elected office. Governmental corruption contributes to the problem, with officials taking bribes and confirming validity of false statements.
Since the report, which generated extensive press coverage, the NYSC has instituted a new system to verify National Identification Numbers to reduce the risk that fraudulent applicants are accepted. MacArthur supports the Daily Nigerian through a grant to The Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism as part of the work to support investigative reporting, anti-corruption, and accountability at Nigeria’s subnational levels.
