The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), has officially disowned the Bachelor of Science degree certificate presented by Uche Nnaji, the current Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation. This pronouncement confirms long-standing allegations of certificate forgery against Mr. Nnaji, which first emerged in July 2023 when President Bola Tinubu nominated him for a ministerial position. Critics have consistently asserted that Mr. Nnaji did not complete his university education and that both the bachelor’s degree and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate he submitted to various governmental offices, including the Senate and the State Security Service, are counterfeit.

In response to a Freedom of Information (FoI) request from PREMIUM TIMES, Professor Simon U. Ortuanya, the Vice-Chancellor of UNN, issued a letter dated October 2, 2025. This letter formally confirmed that while Mr. Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji, with Matriculation Number 1981/30725, was indeed admitted to the institution in 1981, available records indicate he never completed his studies. Consequently, the university stated it did not, and could not have, issued the purported certificate in July 1985. This conclusion aligns with an earlier letter sent by the university to the Public Complaints Commission on May 13, 2025.

This disclosure from UNN represents the culmination of a painstaking two-year investigation by PREMIUM TIMES into Mr. Nnaji’s academic and NYSC credentials. The investigation began on October 23, 2023, following a whistleblower’s alert regarding suspected discrepancies. The process involved a thorough forensic analysis of the minister’s submitted documents, as well as extensive legwork and inquiries at both the UNN and NYSC headquarters.

The forensic examination of Mr. Nnaji’s alleged NYSC certificate, dated May 15, 1986, revealed significant anomalies. It bore the signature of Animashaun Braimoh, an army colonel who served as the fifth CEO of the NYSC between January 1988 and December 1990. This makes it impossible for him to have signed a certificate in 1986, eighteen months prior to his appointment. The legitimate head of the NYSC during the period Mr. Nnaji claimed to have served was Colonel Edet Akpan.

Further discrepancies in the NYSC certificate included the titular designation of the corps’ CEO. The certificate was signed by a “National Director” in 1986, a title that was not introduced until years later, as the head of the agency was known as “Director” until at least the early 1990s. An extensive review of 25 NYSC certificates issued between 1980 and 1990 showed all were signed by a “Director,” with only Mr. Nnaji’s bearing the “National Director” title. Additionally, the certificate number A231309 included an alphabetic character in 1986, a practice that did not commence until the 1990s. Most critically, the certificate indicated a 13-month service period (April 16, 1985, to May 15, 1986), contrary to the statutory 12-month service period for corps members.

Beyond the NYSC, the investigation found the degree certificate to be equally fraudulent. While it superficially appeared genuine when compared to other UNN certificates, its artificiality became apparent when juxtaposed with the NYSC certificate. Mr. Nnaji’s degree certificate suggested graduation in July 1985, yet the accompanying NYSC certificate claimed he began youth service on April 16, 1985 – three months before completing his university studies. Such an overlap is unprecedented in the 52-year history of the NYSC, as mobilization for national service while still pursuing a first degree is not permitted.

Investigations at UNN confirmed that Mr. Nnaji, though admitted to study biological sciences in 1981/82, failed several courses, including Virology (MCB 431AB), and was notorious for absenteeism, leading the university to advise him to withdraw. Reporters sighted a letter from Mr. Nnaji, dated May 1, 1986, pleading for another opportunity to take an outstanding terminal course, a request which the university declined. Furthermore, Mr. Nnaji’s name was conspicuously absent from the official Order of Proceedings for the university’s 20th Convocation Ceremony in 1985, which listed all graduates for that year.

The university’s recent formal stance contradicts an earlier statement made by former Registrar Celine Nnebedum, who, in December 2023, informed People’s Gazette that Mr. Nnaji had graduated in July 1985. However, Mrs. Nnebedum later recanted this position in May 2025 before the Public Complaints Commission, acknowledging that Mr. Nnaji’s name was not found on the 1985 graduation list. Despite these mounting discrepancies, Mr. Nnaji, during his August 1, 2023, ministerial screening before the Senate, maintained that he graduated from UNN in 1985 and completed his NYSC in Jos in 1986. His resume, containing these disputed qualifications, was also read during his inauguration on August 22, 2023.

Multiple attempts by PREMIUM TIMES to solicit Mr. Nnaji’s response, including a formal inquiry submitted on January 8, 2024, and numerous follow-up calls, messages, and emails, have gone unanswered. The collective findings of the extensive investigation, now reinforced by the University of Nigeria, Nsukka’s official confirmation, present compelling evidence of certificate forgery against the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation.