LAGOS LAUNCHES MONTHLY BIOMETRIC STAFF VERIFICATION TO ELIMINATE GHOST WORKERS
Read Time:2 Minute, 44 Second
By ‘Sefiu Ajape
The Lagos State Government has launched a Monthly Biometric Staff Verification Exercise under the Biometric Staff Audit System (BSAS) as part of efforts to strengthen accountability, transparency, and efficiency in workforce and payroll management.
Speaking at the official launch, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Internal Audit, Dr. Oyeyemi Ayoola, said the initiative would help eliminate ghost workers while ensuring strict compliance with data integrity and privacy standards.
Dr. Ayoola urged auditors, who will drive the implementation of the programme, to uphold professional ethics and avoid compromising the system.
According to her, auditors play a critical role in ensuring accountability within the public service.
“We are custodians of trust in Lagos State and drivers of oversight functions. As such, we have major roles to play in making this system work. I therefore urge all auditors not to compromise the system,” she said.
The Special Adviser also stressed the importance of auditors’ well-being, mental health, and emotional balance, noting that these factors are essential for effective performance. She encouraged them to align with global best practices and maintain the highest standards of professionalism.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Office of Internal Audit, Mrs. Monsurat Titilope Alaka, described the Biometric Staff Verification Exercise as a major step toward improving staff verification processes across the public service.
She said the initiative would help eliminate payroll fraud, ghost workers, and identity theft while strengthening internal control mechanisms.
Mrs. Alaka noted that the programme demonstrates the government’s commitment to leveraging technology to maintain accurate personnel records, improve workforce management, and prevent payroll irregularities.
She explained that the Biometric Staff Audit System uses advanced biometric technologies, including fingerprint and facial recognition, to provide a secure and reliable platform for staff verification and attendance monitoring.
“The successful implementation of this initiative will strengthen personnel management, improve operational efficiency, enhance transparency, and contribute significantly to the realisation of the THEMES+ Development Agenda of the Lagos State Government,” she said.
According to her, the monthly exercise will ensure that only active, legitimate, and duly verified employees remain on the state payroll, helping to identify and remove irregularities such as ghost workers.
Also speaking, the Head of Service, Mr. Olabode Agoro, represented by the Accountant-General and Permanent Secretary, State Treasury Office, Dr. Muyiwa John Adetola, said biometric verification has become an essential component of modern identity management and is long overdue in the Lagos State Public Service.
He noted that the immediate implementation of the initiative reflects the government’s commitment to adopting global digital best practices in personnel and payroll administration.
“The initiative, championed by the Office of Internal Audit, is designed to align the State’s payroll verification system with modern technology-driven processes that ensure greater efficiency, accuracy, and accountability,” he stated.
Agoro highlighted the progress already made through the adoption of digital payroll systems, data validation protocols across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and strengthened internal control measures.
He commended the Office of Internal Audit for driving innovation and promoting credible personnel management practices, expressing confidence that the initiative would further enhance transparency, accountability, and sustainable development in Lagos State.
The launch of the Monthly Biometric Staff Verification Exercise marks another milestone in Lagos State’s drive to build a more efficient, technology-driven, and globally competitive public service.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0