President Bola Tinubu has ordered a comprehensive forensic audit of Federal Government systems following reports of ghost workers, fake agencies and other administrative control failures.
The audit will cover the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System, Federal Government agencies and their administrative and internal control systems, according to a statement by the President’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, on Friday.
Tinubu directed the Minister of Finance and Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, to oversee and coordinate the exercise.
The directive followed the Federal Executive Council’s resolution of August 19, 2026, which was reached in response to findings by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission concerning fake agencies, ghost workers and other control weaknesses.
According to Onanuga, the exercise is expected to determine the nature and extent of weaknesses in the government’s control systems and establish how such weaknesses may have been exploited.
The audit will comprise two interconnected components.
The first will focus on a forensic review of government systems, particularly IPPIS and related payroll, personnel, pension and financial management platforms.
It will examine reported cases of ghost workers and payroll fraud, reconcile figures identified by the ICPC, trace how fictitious or ineligible persons were enrolled and assess access, identity, biometric and bank account controls.
The exercise will also examine the links between IPPIS and other government platforms, including the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System, Remita, the Treasury Single Account and Sub-Treasury Single Account.
The review will seek to determine whether fraudulent activities resulted from system defects, process failures, inadequate separation of duties or deliberate circumvention of established controls.
The second component will cover all Federal Government agencies, departments, commissions, councils, parastatals and other government bodies.
Onanuga said the audit would establish a definitive inventory of such entities and verify their legal basis.
It will also examine how government bodies obtain official recognition, budgetary consideration, correspondence privileges, office facilities and access to government systems.
The exercise will further assess governance, procurement, internal audit and oversight mechanisms across the Federal Government to identify and close systemic weaknesses that could allow irregular entities or individuals to access public resources.
Tinubu directed that the audit be conducted with the highest standards of independence, professionalism and forensic integrity.
The audit team will have access to relevant government systems and records and will work with the ICPC to ensure the review complements ongoing investigations, prosecutions and recoveries.
The President expects the exercise to go beyond identifying individual cases of fraud or administrative failure by strengthening government systems, closing systemic loopholes, improving data verification and reconciliation, reinforcing accountability and ensuring that only duly constituted entities and eligible personnel have access to government resources.
The Presidency said the exercise underscores Tinubu’s commitment to strengthening transparency, accountability, fiscal governance and institutional integrity across the Federal Government.