Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Abuja, Nigeria — In a detailed account of public sector reform, former Minister of Finance Kemi Adeosun revealed that the Federal Government of Nigeria identified approximately 45,000 ghost workers on its payroll by integrating the Bank Verification Number (BVN) into government salary systems. The disclosure was made during a public policy dialogue in Lagos, highlighting one of the most significant steps taken to address payroll fraud and inefficiency in recent years.
Adeosun, who served as Nigeria’s Finance Minister from 2015 to 2018, explained that the federal payroll represented the government’s largest single expenditure and had long been affected by systemic failures. Previous efforts to clean up the payroll through biometric verification stalled due to resistance from powerful security and paramilitary agencies, including the Police and Army, which refused to cooperate with centralized verification systems. By leveraging the BVN, which uniquely identifies every bank account holder in Nigeria, the government was able to match salary records against verified identities, uncovering thousands of irregular entries that had previously gone undetected.
According to Adeosun, the 45,000 ghost worker entries included a mix of entirely fictitious names, deceased employees who remained on the payroll, and instances where a single BVN was linked to multiple salary records. She emphasized that not all cases were deliberate fraud; many arose from administrative inefficiencies or outdated records that were never updated. In several instances, salaries were being paid to individuals no longer employed, reflecting a long-standing oversight in payroll management.
The use of BVN data allowed the ministry to reconcile payroll information without relying solely on biometric campaigns, which had proven challenging and incomplete. Adeosun also introduced a system requiring Permanent Secretaries in each ministry, department, and agency to personally sign off on payrolls, creating a clear chain of accountability and reducing the likelihood of irregular entries going unnoticed.
Experts note that ghost workers have been a persistent drain on Nigeria’s public finances, exacerbating budgetary pressures and diverting funds from essential services. While past reforms uncovered tens of thousands of fictitious entries, Adeosun’s approach demonstrated how integrating digital financial identity systems with payroll management could significantly improve detection and accountability.
Adeosun also stressed the importance of data-driven policymaking and modern technological tools in reforming public administration. She argued that artificial intelligence, integrated databases, and disciplined execution could address long-standing governance challenges more effectively than conventional methods.
The revelations have sparked debate about the sustainability of payroll reforms. Advocates for governance reform praised the innovative use of BVN data as a major step toward transparency and efficiency. Critics, however, argue that uncovering ghost workers is only the first step, and long-term reform requires continuous oversight, systemic restructuring, and accountability measures to prevent the re-emergence of ghost entries.
Adeosun’s account also highlighted the political and administrative challenges of reform, noting that institutional resistance, especially from security agencies, had hindered earlier verification efforts. By leveraging existing national financial identity infrastructure, her team bypassed these obstacles and implemented a more effective verification mechanism.
Public reaction to her disclosures has been mixed. Supporters of reform welcome the emphasis on technology and accountability, while others stress the need for follow-through to hold individuals responsible for enabling payroll inefficiencies and to address structural vulnerabilities permanently.
The broader implications of her revelations reinforce the importance of digital infrastructure in public administration. By using systems like the BVN to ensure payroll integrity, the government can improve transparency, strengthen fiscal discipline, and safeguard public resources. Adeosun’s experience underscores the potential for technology-driven solutions to modernize governance and enhance public trust in state institutions.
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