The Jigawa State Government in northern Nigeria has uncovered 6,348 ghost workers during a payroll audit. This saves the government over $200,000 monthly and nearly $2.5 million annually.
Sagir Musa, the State’s Commissioner for Information, Youth, Sports, and Culture, announced the findings on Tuesday. He said the discovery came from a Statewide Staff Audit Biometric Data Capture and Validation Exercise.
“The exercise resulted in the detection of 6,348 ghost workers and saved the state an average of ₦314,657,342.06 ($202,703.95) monthly, amounting to ₦3,775,888,809.72 ($2,432,447.86) annually,” Musa explained.
Ghost workers, or fake employees collecting salaries, have long plagued Nigeria’s public sector, draining millions in taxpayer funds. The effort by Jigawa State is part of a broader push to improve payroll accountability and reduce waste.
To prevent future fraud, the government approved a Continuous Capture Center to fast-track data verification under the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Management System (IPPMS). The IPPMS, Nigeria’s centralized payroll system, uses biometric technology to eliminate ghost workers—fake employees added to payrolls—and ensure only legitimate staff receive salaries.
—Ezinwanne Onwuka reports for TruthNigeria from Abuja.
