Information Technology and Salary Padding in Nigeria Public Sectors

Information technology has had a significant impact on the performance and operations of both private and public sectors. With rapid advancements and increasing complexity, there is a growing need for more efficient methods of carrying out tasks. However, governments face numerous challenges including budget cuts and limited resources that can hinder their ability to provide quality services. This highlights the importance of adopting innovative technologies to streamline processes, reduce costs, and enhance service delivery to meet the evolving needs of citizens. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between information technology (IT) and salary padding in public sectors in Nigeria, with a focus on Ekiti State. The research methodology used was a survey research design, which utilized a well-structured questionnaire to gather information from managers, auditors, chartered accountants, directors of finance and accounting (DFA), directors of admin and supply (DAS), and parastatal in Ekiti state, Nigeria. 180 respondents were selected using purposive sampling techniques and their responses were analyzed through descriptive statistics and OLS regression. The results showed that IT has a positive and significant effect on salary padding. The study concluded that salary padding can be reduced by implementing salary automation through the use of IT. It was recommended that the government should improve its use of IT to increase transparency and accountability in the salary processing system and prevent salary padding in Nigeria's public sector.