The directive was disclosed on Friday in a statement by the President’s Special Adviser to the President on Information
and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the statement, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, will supervise and coordinate the audit.
The exercise follows a resolution by the Federal Executive Council on August 19, 2026, after findings by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission raised concerns about ghost workers, alleged fake agencies and other weaknesses within government systems.
A major component of the
exercise will be a forensic examination of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System and other platforms connected to payroll, personnel, pensions and financial management.
The audit will investigate reported cases of ghost workers and payroll fraud, reconcile figures identified by the ICPC, determine how fictitious or ineligible individuals were enrolled, and assess controls relating to access, identity verification, biometrics and bank accounts.
The review 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 government said the review would determine whether identified irregularities were caused by system weaknesses, procedural failures, poor segregation of duties or deliberate attempts to bypass established controls.
The second phase will cover Federal Government ministries, departments, agencies, commissions, councils, parastatals and other government institutions.
It will involve compiling a definitive list of government entities, verifying their legal status and examining how they secure official recognition, budgetary allocations, correspondence privileges, office facilities and access to government systems.
The audit will further assess governance, procurement, internal audit and oversight mechanisms across government, with the aim of identifying and addressing loopholes that could enable unauthorised individuals or entities to gain access to public resources.
Tinubu directed that the exercise be carried out with the highest standards of independence, professionalism and forensic integrity.
The audit team will be granted access to relevant government records and systems and is expected to work with the ICPC to ensure that its findings complement ongoing investigations, prosecutions and recovery efforts.
Onanuga said the President expects the exercise to extend beyond the identification of individual cases of fraud or administrative failures.
He said the ultimate objective was to strengthen government systems, eliminate loopholes, improve data verification and reconciliation, enhance accountability and ensure that only legally recognised entities and qualified personnel have access to government resources.
The President’s directive, according to the statement, reflects his administration’s commitment to improving transparency, fiscal governance, accountability and institutional integrity across the Federal Government.
