By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
The Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) has closed its recruitment portal after 606,928 Nigerians attempted to apply for positions in the first phase of its ongoing recruitment exercise.
The Service announced the closure on Wednesday, 12 August, 2026, through its official X handle, @NAQSng, expressing appreciation to the hundreds of thousands of Nigerians who indicated interest in joining the organisation and serving the country.
According to NAQS, 407,659 applicants successfully submitted their applications before the deadline, while 199,269 applications remained incomplete at the close of the application period.
The Service said the overwhelming response to the recruitment exercise demonstrated the confidence Nigerians have in NAQS, as well as the commitment of young people to national development.
The recruitment statistics showed that applicants were predominantly male, accounting for 76 per cent, while females constituted 24 per cent. The median age of the applicants was put at 30 years.
Further breakdown of the figures showed that the ASQ II cadre for candidates with HND/BSc recorded the highest number of applications, with 290,076 applicants.
The Quarantine Assistant cadre, requiring an SSCE qualification, followed with 117,177 applications, while Inspector of Quarantine I, requiring an NCE qualification, recorded 79,685 applications.
Inspector of Quarantine II, requiring an OND qualification, attracted 70,170 applications, while the DSQ cadre for candidates with Master’s degrees received 13,183 applications.
Inspector of Quarantine III, requiring an OND qualification, recorded 12,724 applications, followed by the SQ cadre with 9,791 applications.
The CSQ cadre for veterinary doctors recorded 8,779 applications, while the DSQ cadre for candidates with a law qualification attracted 5,343 applications.
NAQS also acknowledged the patience and understanding of applicants, particularly during the period of heavy traffic experienced on the recruitment portal.
The Service explained that the high volume of traffic was experienced as hundreds of thousands of Nigerians attempted to complete their applications, adding that subsequent stages of the recruitment process would be communicated through its official communication channels.
It consequently advised applicants to remain vigilant and disregard misinformation, unauthorised messages and communications from individuals or platforms not officially affiliated with the Service.
The announcement was signed by ACG Issaka Ahmed, Director of Human Resources, on behalf of the Comptroller General of NAQS.
With the closure of the portal, attention now shifts to the subsequent stages of the recruitment exercise as applicants await further directives from the Service.
