The President Bola Tinubu’s government is swimming in another scandal as the University of Nigeria, Nsukka has disowned the degree certificate being paraded by the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Uche Nnaji which earned him a place in the federal executive council.
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has also denied issuing him its certificate of completion of the compulsory national service.
A two-year investigation by Premium Times, burst the minister’s certificate burble. The report found that both Nnaji’s degree certificate and NYSC certificate of discharge were forged.
The Premium Times report quoted a response by the university to its freedom of information request which explained that while Nnaji was admitted in 1981, there is no record that he completed his studies or graduated in July 1985, as his certificate claims.
Disowning the certificate submitted Nnaji to the Senate following his ministerial nomination, the UNN, in a letter dated October 2, 2025, and signed by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Simon Ortuanya, said:
“From every available record and information from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, we are unable to confirm that Mr. Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji, the current Minister of Science and Technology, graduated from the University of Nigeria in July 1985, as there are no records of his completion of study in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
“Flowing from above, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka DID NOT and consequently, COULD NOT have issued the purported certificate, or at all, in July 1985 to Mr Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji, the current Minister of Science and Technology. This conclusion is also in consonance with an earlier letter dated May 13, 2025, ref. No, RUN/SR/R/V, issued by the University to the Public Complaints Commission in respect of the same subject matter,” the letter was quoted.
The paper’s investigations further revealed that although Nnaji was admitted to study biological sciences, he failed several courses before he was advised to withdraw.
In 1986, he reportedly wrote to the university seeking another opportunity to retake an examination, one year after claiming to have already graduated.
Premium Times reported that forensic analysis of the minister’s NYSC certificate also revealed glaring inconsistencies.
The certificate bore the signature of a corps official who only assumed office 18 months after the date it was supposedly issued.
The report also noted that the certificate carried an invalid numbering system and suggested that Nnaji served for 13 months, contrary to the statutory 12-month programme.
According to Premium Times, several attempts to get the minister’s reaction to its findings were unsuccessful.
