President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Government to carry out a comprehensive forensic audit of its systems following concerns over ghost workers, payroll irregularities and allegedly unrecognised government agencies.
According to the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the directive which was issued on Friday 28th of August would cover the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System, government agencies and their internal administrative and control structures.
Tinubu has assigned the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, to supervise and coordinate the audit.
Reports say, The President’s decision is sequel to a resolution of the Federal Executive Council on August 19, 2026, which which looked into the findings by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission concerning; alleged fake agencies, ghost workers and weaknesses in government controls.
According to Onanuga, the audit is designed to determine the extent of weaknesses within government systems and establish how such gaps may have been exploited.
One part of the exercise will focus on IPPIS and other payroll, personnel, pension and financial management platforms. It will investigate reported ghost workers and payroll fraud, compare the findings with ICPC records and trace how fictitious or ineligible individuals were allegedly added to government payrolls.
The review will also examine identity verification, biometric registration, bank account controls and system access procedures.
Government platforms linked to IPPIS, including the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System, Remita, the Treasury Single Account and Sub-Treasury Single Account, will also be examined.
The audit team is expected to determine whether irregularities resulted from technological shortcomings, procedural failures, weak separation of duties or deliberate efforts to bypass established controls.
The second phase will examine Federal Government ministries, departments, agencies, commissions, councils, parastatals and other public institutions.
The exercise will seek to establish an accurate list of government bodies and verify their legal foundations. It will also investigate how organisations receive government recognition, budget allocations, official correspondence privileges, office space and access to public systems.
The review will further assess governance, procurement, internal audit and oversight mechanisms across government to identify and eliminate loopholes that could allow unauthorised individuals or entities to benefit from public resources.
Tinubu directed that the exercise be conducted independently and in accordance with professional forensic standards.
The audit team will have access to relevant government records and digital systems and will work with the ICPC to ensure that the exercise complements existing investigations, prosecutions and asset recovery efforts.
The Presidency said the audit would not be limited to identifying individual cases of fraud or administrative misconduct. Instead, it is expected to strengthen government systems, improve data verification and reconciliation, close institutional loopholes and ensure that only legally recognised entities and qualified personnel have access to public resources.
The exercise, according to the Presidency, is part of Tinubu’s broader efforts to improve transparency, accountability, fiscal management and institutional integrity across the Federal Government.
