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Research Article Volume 8 Issue 1
Building transparent human resource management systems: a comprehensive study of ethics, nepotism, and recruitment reform in Nigeria's public and private sectors
Lolo Teddy Adias, Aziba-anyam Gift Raimi
Received: July 16, 2025 | Published: September 8, 2025
Citation: Adias LT, Aziba-anyam GR. Building transparent human resource management systems: a comprehensive study of ethics, nepotism, and recruitment reform in Nigeria’s public and private sectors. Open Access J Sci. 2025;8(1):203-216. DOI: 10.15406/oajs.2025.08.00264
Abstract
This study investigates persistent unethical HR practices, including nepotism, bribery, gender bias, and ethnic favoritism in Nigerian organizational recruitment from 2009 to 2025. Despite numerous reforms, these practices continue to compromise procedural fairness, demoralize employees, and hinder productivity. The research aims to evaluate the prevalence and ethical consequences of these issues, analyze their effect on organizational performance, and develop actionable solutions to improve recruitment integrity. The study aims to address four main objectives: (i) Assess the prevalence of nepotism and its ethical implications in Nigerian HRM practices; (ii) Examine recruitment challenges, including gender bias and ethnic favoritism; (iii) Analyze the impact of unethical HR practices on organizational performance; and (iv) Propose strategies for improving recruitment ethics and reducing nepotism. The study uses a mixed-methods approach, combining secondary data from reports by Transparency International, the World Bank, and McKinsey Nigeria, with qualitative insights from case studies and interviews. This methodology provides a comprehensive view of the state of HRM practices and the challenges faced by organizations in enforcing ethical recruitment. Results show that unethical practices, especially nepotism, bribery, and gender bias, continue to negatively affect both public and private sectors. Despite efforts such as HR ethics training and legal reforms, these practices persist due to political interference, weak enforcement, and a lack of technological adoption. Nepotism in recruitment was found to be particularly prevalent in government agencies, contributing to high turnover and reduced organizational performance. The study concludes that unethical HR practices continue to undermine recruitment processes, necessitating stronger anticorruption policies, enhanced HR ethics training, and the integration of technology to increase recruitment fairness. It recommends strengthening legal frameworks, adopting automated recruitment systems, introducing whistleblower protections, and conducting regular audits. In the health sector, ethical recruitment is critical for improving patient care, reducing medical errors, and fostering trust in healthcare services.
Keywords: unethical HR practices, nepotism, organizational performance, ethics training, recruitment challenges, legal reforms, healthcare sector, transparency, Nigerian HRM
©2025 Adias, et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and build upon your work non-commercially.