A major controversy has erupted over the academic qualifications of Nigeria’s Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Uche Nnaji, after the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), formally disowned the Bachelor of Science degree certificate he has been parading for decades.
In a letter dated October 2, 2025, the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Simon Ortuanya, confirmed that although Mr. Nnaji was admitted into the institution in 1981 to study Biological Sciences, he never completed his programme and was therefore not awarded any degree.
“From every available record, we are unable to confirm that Mr. Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji graduated from the University of Nigeria in July 1985. There are no records of his completion of studies,” Prof. Ortuanya wrote.
“The University of Nigeria, Nsukka DID NOT and consequently, COULD NOT have issued the purported certificate, or at all, in July 1985 to Mr. Nnaji,” he added.
The minister’s credentials have under scrutiny since October 2023 after a whistleblower tip about inconsistencies in his documents.
Questions over Mr. Nnaji’s academic records first surfaced in July 2023 when President Bola Tinubu submitted his name to the Senate for ministerial confirmation. Critics alleged that the politician neither completed his studies at UNN nor participated in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme, despite presenting both certificates to various federal institutions.
During his screening on August 1, 2023, Mr. Nnaji confidently told lawmakers that he obtained a degree in Biochemistry and Microbiology from UNN in 1985 and served in Jos the following year. His statements were broadcast live on multiple television stations.
However, forensic scrutiny of the certificates submitted by the minister revealed glaring inconsistencies that cast doubt on their authenticity.
Nnaji’s NYSC and degree certificates were subjected to in-depth analysis. Investigators found that the purported NYSC certificate dated May 15, 1986, carried the signature of Col. Animashaun Braimoh — an officer who only assumed office as Director of NYSC in 1988.
Furthermore, the certificate bore the title “National Director,” a designation that was not in use in 1986, and had an alphanumeric identification number (A231309) even though alphabetic prefixes were only introduced in the 1990s. It also claimed that Mr. Nnaji served for 13 months, instead of the statutory 12.
The degree certificate itself raised fewer immediate concerns, but its timeline conflicted sharply with the NYSC document. It stated that the minister graduated in July 1985, yet his NYSC service supposedly began in April of that same year—three months earlier, an impossibility in Nigeria’s educational system.
Investigators later visited UNN, where they confirmed that Mr. Nnaji had indeed been admitted in 1981 but failed several core courses, including Virology (MCB 431AB). According to university staff, he repeatedly missed opportunities to retake his exams and was eventually advised to withdraw due to prolonged absenteeism.
A letter dated May 1, 1986, written by Mr. Nnaji himself, further exposed his academic struggles. In it, he pleaded with the university to allow him sit for an outstanding terminal course in September that year—months after the date he claimed to have graduated.
Interestingly, in December 2023, the university registrar, Mrs. Celine Nnebedum, told another newspaper that Mr. Nnaji graduated in July 1985. She later retracted the statement before the Public Complaints Commission in May 2025, admitting that the university could not find his name in the 1985 graduation records.
This latest letter from the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ortuanya, appears to have finally settled the matter, aligning with the findings of the two-year investigation and confirming that the certificate in the minister’s possession is fake.
The revelations have raised serious questions about how Mr. Nnaji managed to scale through the vetting processes of the Department of State Services (DSS), the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), the Senate, and the presidency itself.
Under Nigerian law, presenting forged academic or NYSC certificates is a criminal offence that carries severe penalties, including dismissal from public office and possible imprisonment.
As at press time, neither the minister nor the presidency had responded to the development.