Former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, has revealed how the Federal Government uncovered about 45,000 ghost workers in its payroll through the use of the Bank Verification Number (BVN) system.
She made this known during a public policy discussion at the Citadel School of Government Dialogue Series held in Lagos. The event brought together public officials, experts, and thought leaders to discuss governance and reforms in Nigeria.
Adeosun explained that before the introduction of the BVN-based system, the federal government’s payroll was the single largest area of spending, but it was filled with irregularities and inefficiencies. According to her, efforts to clean up the payroll had faced serious challenges for years.
“The payroll was our biggest cost,” she said. “We knew there were issues, but previous attempts to fix them did not succeed.”
One of the major problems, she noted, was resistance from some government agencies, especially paramilitary organisations such as the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigerian Army. These agencies reportedly refused to fully cooperate with earlier biometric verification exercises aimed at identifying legitimate workers.
Biometric systems typically require individuals to physically present themselves for data capture, such as fingerprints or facial recognition. However, in many cases, these exercises were either delayed or incomplete, making it difficult to verify the authenticity of workers on the government payroll.
To overcome this challenge, Adeosun said her team decided to use an existing national database—the BVN system. The BVN, introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria, is a unique identification number linked to individuals’ bank accounts and biometric data.
Instead of conducting a fresh biometric exercise, the government matched its payroll records against the BVN database. This approach, she explained, made it possible to detect irregularities without relying on agencies that had previously resisted verification.
“We ran the federal payroll against the BVN database, and the result was staggering. We found 45,000 ghost workers,” Adeosun said.
She clarified that the term “ghost worker” does not always mean a completely fake person. In many cases, the fraud was simpler but still serious. For example, one individual could have their BVN linked to multiple salary payments.
“In many cases, it wasn’t a ghost, but one person’s BVN linked to several salaries,” she explained.
She also noted that some of the irregularities were due to systemic weaknesses rather than organised crime. For instance, some workers who had died, retired, or transferred to other roles were still receiving salaries because their records had not been properly updated.
“It wasn’t always a cartel. Sometimes it was just inefficiency or poor record-keeping,” she added.
Nigeria has long struggled with the issue of ghost workers, especially in the public sector. Over the years, different administrations have launched initiatives to remove fake names from government payrolls, but results have often been limited due to weak systems and lack of accountability.
The discovery of 45,000 ghost workers was seen as a major breakthrough at the time, as it helped the government save billions of naira that would have otherwise been lost to fraud.
However, Adeosun stressed that technology alone was not enough to solve the problem. To ensure lasting results, her team introduced measures to strengthen accountability within the system.
One key reform was requiring Permanent Secretaries—the top civil servants in each ministry—to personally sign off on their payrolls. This created a clear line of responsibility and made it harder for fraudulent entries to go unnoticed.
By combining technology with human oversight, the government was able to create a more reliable and transparent payroll system.
Beyond the specific issue of ghost workers, Adeosun used her experience to highlight the importance of data in governance. She encouraged public officials to rely on facts and evidence when designing and defending policies.
“If you just talk without evidence, people may not listen. But when you come with data and clear records, it is harder to argue against you,” she said.
She also urged current and future leaders to embrace modern tools such as data analysis and artificial intelligence to address long-standing challenges in governance.
According to her, technology provides the tools needed for reform, but strong leadership is required to implement change effectively.
The event also featured prominent figures such as Tunde Bakare and Mike Adebamowo, who shared their views on leadership and national development.
Participants at the dialogue agreed that while the discovery of ghost workers was a major achievement, reforms must be backed by strong legal frameworks to ensure they are not reversed in the future.
They stressed the need for laws that mandate transparency and accountability in public finance management, as well as systems that can withstand changes in political leadership.
Bakare, in his remarks, praised Adeosun for her efforts and resilience in public service. He noted that maintaining integrity in government is often challenging but essential for building public trust.
He also commended her for returning to public discourse with her reputation intact, adding that such examples are important for encouraging ethical leadership in Nigeria.
The issue of ghost workers remains relevant today, as governments at different levels continue to seek ways to reduce waste and improve efficiency. With rising economic pressures and limited resources, plugging leakages in public spending has become more urgent than ever.
For many Nigerians, the revelations by Adeosun serve as a reminder of how much public funds can be lost through weak systems—and how much can be saved when reforms are properly carried out.