The Bayelsa State Government has ended a five-year employment freeze, approving the recruitment of 1,000 individuals into the state civil service. According to the government, this action aims to strengthen the workforce and reduce unemployment.
The Bayelsa State Civil Service Commission announced the recruitment in a letter dated March 4, 2025, noting that it had received over 10,000 applications for positions ranging from clerical roles to officer cadre by the March 21 deadline.
Perekiye Buruboyefe, Chairman of the Civil Service Commission, has assured applicants that the recruitment process will be transparent and merit-based, with candidates undergoing screenings and interviews. Buruboyefe praised Governor Douye Diri’s initiative as a deliberate effort to empower Bayelsans through civil service opportunities, adding that the overwhelming response shows the people’s readiness to contribute to the state’s developments.
The last major recruitment occurred in 2019 under former Governor Seriake Dickson, who employed 1,200 graduates after a rigorous service reform that eliminated age falsification, ghost workers, and individuals fraudulently drawing multiple salaries.
Officials expect this latest exercise to have significant social and economic impacts by reducing unemployment and steering young people away from crime by offering productive engagement, also fostering a sense of belonging among citizens and strengthening the bond between the government and the people.
The recruitment drive accompanies major infrastructure projects in the state, including the ongoing construction of a ₦46 billion nine-story state secretariat complex that will provide a modern workspace for civil servants, including the new recruits.
