President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed a comprehensive forensic audit of key Federal Government systems, including the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), ministries, departments, agencies and other government institutions.
The President directed the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, to oversee and coordinate the exercise, which is aimed at identifying systemic weaknesses, uncovering how control gaps have been exploited and strengthening accountability across the Federal Government.
The directive follows a resolution of the Federal Executive Council on August 19, 2026, prompted by findings from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) concerning alleged “fake agencies,” ghost workers and other weaknesses in government control systems.
According to the Presidency, the audit will determine the nature and extent of the identified weaknesses and establish how they may have been exploited to gain access to public resources.
Audit to cover payroll, personnel and financial systems
The forensic exercise will comprise two interconnected components.
The first will focus on government information and financial-management systems, particularly IPPIS and related payroll, personnel, pension and financial platforms.
The audit 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 scrutinise access, identity, biometric and bank-account controls.
It will also examine the interfaces between IPPIS and other government platforms, including the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), Remita, the Treasury Single Account (TSA) and Sub-TSA.
The objective is to establish whether irregularities resulted from system defects, process failures, inadequate segregation of duties or deliberate circumvention of established controls.
All Federal Government entities to be reviewed
The second component will cover Federal Government ministries, departments, agencies, commissions, councils, parastatals and other government bodies.
The exercise will establish a definitive inventory of such entities and verify their legal basis, while examining how government bodies obtain official recognition, budgetary consideration, correspondence privileges, office facilities and access to government systems.
It will further assess governance, procurement, internal-audit and oversight mechanisms across government, with the aim of closing systemic loopholes that could enable irregular entities or individuals to access public funds and other government resources.
Tinubu demands independent and professional exercise
President Tinubu directed that the audit be conducted in accordance with the highest standards of independence, professionalism and forensic integrity.
The audit team will have access to relevant government records and systems and will collaborate with the ICPC to ensure that the exercise complements ongoing investigations, prosecutions and recovery efforts.
The President said the exercise should go beyond identifying individual cases of fraud or administrative failures.
Instead, it is expected to strengthen the overall architecture of government, eliminate systemic loopholes, improve data verification and reconciliation, reinforce accountability and ensure that only duly constituted government entities and eligible personnel have access to public resources.
The Presidency said the exercise further demonstrates President Tinubu’s commitment to strengthening transparency, accountability, fiscal governance and institutional integrity across the Federal Government.
