THE Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, has resigned from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet following a report exposing how he allegedly forged his university and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificates.
Nnaji’s resignation, confirmed in a statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, came just days after a Premium Times investigation exposed discrepancies in the minister’s academic records and NYSC credentials.
The statement, which was released on Tuesday, October 7, noted that Tinubu has accepted his resignation, thanking him for his contributions to national development and wishing him success in his future endeavours.
On October 4, The ICIR reported how a two-year-long investigation by Premium Times found that both Nnaji’s university certificate and his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate were forged.
According to the report, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) disowned the Bachelor of Science certificate Nnaji claimed to have obtained from the institution, stating that there were no records showing he graduated in July 1985 as alleged.
The report quoted a response to a freedom of information request sent by the newspaper, which stated 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.
In a letter dated October 2, 2025, and signed by the Vice-Chancellor, Simon Ortuanya, a Professor, UNN disowned the certificate currently being paraded by the minister.
Further checks by the paper showed 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 had 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.
The newspaper said that despite repeated requests for clarification, the minister failed to respond to the findings of its investigation.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M