The Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Uche Nnaji, has admitted that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) never issued him a degree certificate — a revelation that appears to confirm allegations that he forged his academic and NYSC credentials.
The confession comes after a two-year investigation by Premium Times, which exposed inconsistencies in the minister’s academic records and uncovered that both his university degree and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificates were forged.
According to the investigation, UNN confirmed in an official response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request that while Nnaji was admitted to the university in 1981, there is no record indicating he completed his studies or graduated in July 1985 as his alleged certificate claims.
A letter dated October 2, 2025, and signed by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Simon Ortuanya, stated clearly that Nnaji’s certificate did not originate from the institution.
The letter read in part:
“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 the 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. This conclusion aligns with an earlier letter dated May 13, 2025, issued by the University to the Public Complaints Commission on the same matter.”
Nnaji, who hails from Enugu State, was confirmed as a minister by the Senate on August 7, 2023, alongside 44 others, and later appointed to head the newly renamed Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology.
In a new twist, Premium Times reports that Nnaji, in court filings before the Federal High Court in Abuja, admitted that UNN never issued him a degree certificate. In the suit, he sought an order restraining the university and its officials from “tampering” with his academic records and compelling the release of his transcript.
However, in his supporting affidavit, the minister acknowledged that although he completed his studies in 1985, he was never given a certificate by the university.
This admission appears to validate earlier allegations that the degree and NYSC certificates submitted by Nnaji during his 2023 ministerial screening were forged — raising grave concerns about his qualifications, integrity, and continued eligibility to hold public office.
