President Bola Tinubu has approved a comprehensive forensic audit of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System, IPPIS, as well as Federal Government agencies, ministries, departments and other government institutions.
The President directed the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, to oversee and coordinate the exercise, which is expected to uncover weaknesses in government control systems and determine how they may have been exploited.
The directive followed a resolution of the Federal Executive Council reached on August 19, 2026, in response to findings by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, on alleged fake agencies, ghost workers and other failures in government control mechanisms.
The Presidency said the audit would be conducted in two major components, with the first focusing on IPPIS and other government payroll, personnel, pension and financial-management platforms.
According to the statement, the forensic review will examine reported cases of ghost workers and payroll fraud, reconcile figures identified by the ICPC and trace how fictitious or ineligible persons may have been enrolled on government platforms.
“The exercise will establish the nature and extent of weaknesses in Government’s control system, and determine how such weaknesses have been exploited,” the statement said.
The audit will also examine access controls, identity verification procedures, biometric records and bank-account controls associated with the payroll system.
In addition, the Federal Government will review the interfaces between IPPIS and other major government platforms, including the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System, GIFMIS, Remita, the Treasury Single Account, TSA, and Sub-TSA.
The review is expected to determine whether identified irregularities resulted from system defects, process failures, inadequate segregation of duties or deliberate circumvention of established controls.
“The exercise will also examine the interfaces between IPPIS and other government platforms, including GIFMIS, Remita, the Treasury Single Account (TSA) and Sub-TSA, to determine whether fraud resulted from system defects, process failures, inadequate segregation of duties or deliberate circumvention,” the Presidency said.
The second component of the exercise will cover Federal Government agencies, departments, commissions, councils, parastatals and other government bodies.
The audit is expected to establish a definitive inventory of such institutions and verify their legal basis, while examining the process through which entities obtain official recognition, budgetary allocations, correspondence privileges, office facilities and access to government systems.
The exercise will also assess governance structures, procurement processes, internal audit mechanisms and oversight controls across government institutions.
President Tinubu directed that the audit be conducted with the highest standards of independence, professionalism and forensic integrity.
The audit team will be granted access to relevant government records and systems and will collaborate with the ICPC to ensure that the exercise complements ongoing investigations, prosecutions and efforts to recover public funds.
The Presidency said the President expects the exercise to extend beyond the identification of individual cases of fraud or administrative lapses.
“President Tinubu expects the exercise to go beyond identifying individual cases of fraud or administrative failure by strengthening the architecture of Government, 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 statement added.
The comprehensive audit, according to the Presidency, is part of the administration’s broader efforts to strengthen transparency, accountability, fiscal governance and institutional integrity across the Federal Government.
The statement was issued on Thursday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
