President Bola Tinubu has ordered a comprehensive forensic audit of the Federal Government’s payroll and administrative systems to uncover ghost workers, alleged fake agencies and other loopholes through which public resources may have been abused.
The President directed the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, to supervise the exercise following a resolution of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on August 19, 2026.
The directive was reportedly prompted by findings from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) concerning alleged irregularities in government agencies, payroll records and other control systems.
According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the audit will determine the extent of weaknesses in government systems and establish whether such gaps were exploited to perpetrate fraud or other irregularities.
A major component of the exercise will focus on the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) and related payroll, personnel, pension and financial-management platforms.
The audit team is expected to investigate reported cases of ghost workers and payroll fraud, reconcile figures identified by the ICPC and trace the process through which fictitious or ineligible individuals were allegedly enrolled.
It will also examine access controls, biometric identification, bank-account verification and other safeguards designed to prevent unauthorised access to government payroll systems.
The review will extend to the relationship between IPPIS and other government platforms, including the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), Remita, Treasury Single Account (TSA) and Sub-TSA.
The Presidency said the exercise would help determine whether identified irregularities were caused by system weaknesses, procedural failures, poor segregation of duties or deliberate circumvention of established controls.
The second phase of the audit will cover Federal Government ministries, departments, agencies, commissions, councils, parastatals and other government bodies.
It will seek to establish an authoritative inventory of federal entities and verify their legal status, while examining how such bodies obtain government recognition, budgetary provisions, office facilities and access to official systems.
The audit will also assess governance, procurement, internal audit and oversight mechanisms across the Federal Government as part of efforts to prevent irregular entities and individuals from gaining access to public funds.
Tinubu directed that the exercise be conducted with independence, professionalism and forensic integrity, with the audit team granted access to relevant government records and systems.
The team will also work with the ICPC to ensure that the exercise complements existing investigations, prosecutions and recovery efforts.
The President said the exercise should not be limited to identifying individual cases of fraud or administrative failures but should also address weaknesses within government architecture.
He called for stronger data verification and reconciliation, improved accountability and tighter controls to ensure that only legally recognised government entities and eligible personnel have access to public resources.
The Presidency said the audit forms part of Tinubu’s broader efforts to strengthen transparency, fiscal governance, accountability and institutional integrity across the Federal Government.
