The Federal Government of Nigeria has uncovered about 45,000 ghost workers in the public payroll following the integration of the Bank Verification Number (BVN) into the federal payment system, according to former Minister of Finance Kemi Adeosun.

Adeosun disclosed that the discovery was made as part of ongoing reforms aimed at improving transparency and accountability in the management of public funds. She explained that linking workers’ records with BVN data made it easier to identify irregularities in the government payroll.

According to her, the integration allowed authorities to match employees’ bank accounts with their BVN records, helping to detect multiple or suspicious salary payments tied to non-existent workers.

She noted that the move formed part of broader public financial management reforms introduced by the government to curb fraud and leakages within the civil service.

Adeosun said the elimination of the ghost workers had already saved the government billions of naira, funds that could now be redirected toward development projects and social services.

The former minister added that the BVN integration also strengthened the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), making it more difficult for fraudulent entries to remain in the payroll database.

She emphasized that the government would continue deploying technology-driven solutions to block financial leakages and ensure that public resources are used efficiently.

The BVN system, introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria, assigns a unique biometric identity to bank customers, enabling authorities to track and verify financial transactions across banks in the country.