CDCFIB Recruitment Portal Crashes Due to Overwhelming Traffic

The Civil Defence, Correctional Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) recruitment portal experienced a crash barely 24 hours after its launch, attributed to overwhelming traffic. As of the latest reports, the web page remains unavailable, leaving thousands of applicants nationwide in a state of uncertainty.

This incident has sparked significant reactions and highlights the ongoing challenges faced by Nigerian government agencies in managing their website infrastructure. Many applicants, who had been eagerly anticipating the application process announced three weeks prior, were left frustrated and helpless as the portal repeatedly stalled.

The recruitment portal, scheduled to go live in the early hours of Monday, July 14, 2025, only became accessible late in the evening after several countdown delays. Upon its appearance, many applicants encountered error messages such as “unconditional drop overload,” indicating that the website was unable to handle the high volume of visitors, thereby straining the portal.

This error message signifies that the server is experiencing excessive traffic or load, and as a protective measure, it is dropping all incoming connections or requests without any filtering or condition. For Nigerians seeking a fair and stress-free application process, this situation represents another setback in the already unimpressive condition of Nigerian government agencies’ recruitment portals, especially amid the high rate of unemployment.

Applicants took to social media platforms to share their experiences and frustrations. One applicant, @rehoiceonwuka5, expressed their inability to access the portal, stating, “Has anyone succeeded in registering? I can’t access that portal keeps saying overload and stuff like that.” Another applicant, @Usman_Adekunlej, who managed to access the portal to some extent, noted, “This is what I had ready before the site stopped working. Otherwise, I should have been the first person to submit the slip.”

@OG_emmanuel expressed their disappointment, saying, “Please you people should please fix this website. I couldn’t sleep throughout the night, trying to make sure I register and the website keep stopping. Pls make it work. E dakun oooo.” @Dis_is_emperor confirmed that the website is still inaccessible despite being declared live, asking, “The website is still not loading, how do we apply for this then?”

Only a few applicants were able to navigate through the portal and successfully submit their applications. One such applicant, @moright20, commented at midnight in a relieved tone, “Last last, I have been able to submit my application, thank you.” Meanwhile, thousands of applicants remain helpless, trying to work their way through the application process and secure a chance to defeat unemployment. As of the reporting time, the CDCFIB official has yet to issue a statement concerning the portal’s status.

Unlike what could have been an excuse for the website crash, such as not having the required resources or less time to prepare, such is not expected to be the case for the CDCFIB recruitment portal crash. Initially, the management announced that online applications for the recruitment exercise into the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Fire Service (FFS), and the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) would commence on Thursday, July 26. On the said date, the management announced an adjustment, noting that the exercise has been adjourned to Monday, July 14. At that time, the board also corrected the web address of the official recruitment portal.

The CDCFIB stated, “The CDCFIB wishes to correct an error and inform the general public that its recruitment portal, which was earlier slated to open on Thursday, 26th June, 2025, will now open on Monday, 14th July, 2025. Also, the Board’s portal of prospective applicants desiring to apply for the Service of their choice is now: cdcfib.gov.ng.” Considering the ample time available to prepare and the web address change, one would have anticipated a hitch-free process. In addition, the build-up, momentum, and countdown on the CDCFIB page would have been a commendable service in the absence of the crash.

As experiencing difficulties in accessing the Nigerian government agencies’ portal, most especially the recruitment portal, continues to be a recurring situation, it speaks volumes about being far away from making things right. Also considering the high rate of unemployment in Nigeria, government agencies are expected to foresee a massive application, thereby prompting a portal built with a large bandwidth.