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Claim: Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations is currently recruiting in all states of Nigeria.
Verdict: The advertisement is fake and not from the Food and Agriculture Organisation.
Full Text
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), a specialised agency of the United Nations, has worked tirelessly in Nigeria for over 40 years to defeat hunger and improve the lives of rural populations. Since opening its office in Nigeria in 1978, FAO has been dedicated to improving nutrition, increasing agricultural productivity, and contributing to global economic growth.
As part of its mandate, FAO has been actively engaged in employment creation, providing opportunities for Nigerians to work towards a hunger-free and prosperous nation.
Recently, a one-page document advertising 1,779 job openings purportedly from FAO Nigeria has been widely circulated on social media, particularly through WhatsApp groups. The document, titled “Advertisement for Vacant Positions,” claims that the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations is recruiting for numerous positions.
The document indicates that 1,779 positions are available for suitable candidates. It instructs interested individuals to send their application documents, including a detailed curriculum vitae and cover letter, to gombess190@outlook.com by May 24, 2024.
The document describes FAO as a specialised technical agency dedicated to alleviating poverty, strengthening livelihoods, and implementing various food security interventions. It states that FAO collaborates with governments, national and international NGOs, and other UN agencies.
According to the document, FAO Nigeria focuses on providing technical assistance and policy advice for developing the crops, livestock, fisheries, and forestry sub-sectors. It emphasises institutional capacity building and local skills and expertise development to ensure sustainability.
Verification
DUBAWA contacted Zoie Jones, Regional Director of FAO, who confirmed the fake advertisement.
“Hi, it is a fake job ad,” he simply wrote in response to our inquiry.
Mr Jones further shared some security advice already put out by the organisation, cautioning the public about the existence of fraudulent job and internship advertisements. He also urged the public to verify such information and report any suspicion of fraud to law enforcement agencies.
“FAO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process whether at the application, interview, processing or training stage. FAO does not require or need to know any information relating to the bank account details of applicants. FAO conducts its procurement by transparent processes through the UN Global Market Place.
Any request deviating from these standard practices should be rejected. Suspicious communications purportedly from, for or on behalf of the FAO should be reported to the FAO at the following email address abuse@fao.org. Fraudulent schemes may also be reported to the local law enforcement authorities for appropriate action.”
Furthermore, in a disclaimer recently released on its Facebook page, FOA disassociated itself from the circulating document, saying it never emanated from them.
“Our attention was drawn to a one-page document with 1779 job openings purportedly advertised by FAO Nigeria. FAO Nigeria did NOT issue these vacancies as contained in the said advertisement,” the statement partly read.
Conclusion
FAO Nigeria is not recruiting! The organisation has debunked the advertisement announcing the 1,779 job openings.
The researcher produced this fact-check for the DUBAWA 2024 Kwame KariKari Fellowship, in partnership with Albarka Radio 97.5 Fm, Bauchi State Nigeria, to facilitate the ethos of “truth” in journalism and enhance media literacy in the country.
