By Oluwakemi Kindness
President Bola Tinubu has ordered a comprehensive forensic audit of the Federal Government’s payroll system and all its agencies.
The audit will target ghost workers, payroll fraud, fake agencies and weaknesses in government controls that could expose public funds to abuse.
Tinubu directed the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, to oversee the exercise.
The President issued the directive on Friday following a Federal Executive Council resolution of August 19, 2026, which followed findings by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC.
The statement signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, ssys the ICPC had uncovered cases involving fake agencies, ghost workers and other control failures within government.
Payroll Information
The first phase will focus on the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System, IPPIS, and related payroll, personnel, pension and financial management platforms.
Auditors will investigate reported ghost workers and payroll fraud and reconcile the figures identified by the ICPC.
They will also trace how fictitious or ineligible persons entered the system and examine identity, biometric and bank-account controls.
The audit will further examine the links between IPPIS and other government platforms, including GIFMIS, Remita, the Treasury Single Account and Sub-TSA.
Government said the review will determine whether fraud resulted from system defects, process failures, weak segregation of duties or deliberate circumvention of controls.
Second Phrase
The second phase will cover all Federal Government ministries, departments, agencies, commissions, councils, parastatals and other government bodies.
The exercise will establish a definitive list of government entities and verify their legal basis.
Auditors will also examine how entities obtain official recognition, budgetary allocations, government correspondence privileges, office facilities and access to government systems.
The review will assess governance, procurement, internal audit and oversight controls to identify loopholes that could allow irregular entities or individuals to access public resources.
Tinubu directed the audit team to maintain the highest standards of independence, professionalism and forensic integrity.
The team will have access to relevant government records and systems and will work with the ICPC to support ongoing investigations, prosecutions and recoveries.
The Presidency said the audit will not stop at identifying individual cases of fraud.
It will also seek to strengthen government systems, close loopholes, improve data verification and ensure only legitimate agencies and eligible personnel access public resources.
