Science Minister Nnaji resigns following allegations of certificate forgery

Science Minister Nnaji resigns following allegations of certificate forgery

President Bola Tinubu on Monday evening accepted the resignation of the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Geoffrey Nnaji, following allegations of certificate forgery against him.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed that Nnaji had tendered his resignation in a letter expressing gratitude to the President for the opportunity to serve the nation.

Appointed in August 2023, Nnaji stated that he had become a target of political blackmail.

President Tinubu, in accepting the resignation, commended Nnaji for his service and wished him success in his future endeavours.

Highly-placed sources in the Presidency told our correspondent that Tinubu had asked  Nnaji to honourably resign, rather than firing him publicly.

The decision was finalised on Tuesday evening at the State House, Abuja, after a brief meeting between the President and key advisers.

Nnaji was not at the meeting, our correspondent observed.

The embattled Minister of Science and Technology is set to resign from office.

“Instead of the President dismissing him, he has been asked to step down honourably,” a source disclosed in confidence.

Another insider, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, confirmed the development, saying, “Before the end of today (Tuesday), he will send his resignation letter to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. The SGF is responsible for all matters relating to the Federal Executive Council.”

The move follows a recent investigative report alleging that Nnaji submitted forged academic and NYSC certificates to President Bola Tinubu and the Senate during his ministerial screening in 2023. The report further stated that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, disowned the degree certificate he presented, clarifying that although Nnaji was admitted in 1981, he did not complete his studies and was never awarded a degree.

The university’s Vice-Chancellor, Simon Ortuanya, confirmed this in a response to a Freedom of Information request dated October 2, in which he stated that Nnaji was not a graduate of the institution.

This contradicted a December 2023 response from UNN’s Registrar, Celine Nnebedum, who had previously confirmed Nnaji’s graduation but later recanted before the Public Complaints Commission in 23 May 2025 letter that the university searched its graduation records for the 1985 session but could not find Mr Nnaji’s name on them.

The investigation also revealed that in a court affidavit, Nnaji admitted that the university never issued him a degree certificate and that he had “never collected one.”

In September, Nnaji filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court against the Minister of Education, the National Universities Commission, UNN, Vice-Chancellor Ortuanya, and others, seeking to restrain the university from “tampering” with his academic records.

The case was heard on Monday, with Sebastian Hon (SAN) representing Nnaji, while E.M. Asogwa appeared for the university and its officials.

The Minister of Education and the NUC, the first and second respondents, were not represented at the hearing.

Nnaji’s legal team challenged the Premium Times article, calling it damaging given the ongoing litigation over the minister’s academic records.

He appealed to the UNN to release his academic transcript, accusing it of “playing politics” with his academic records.

At a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, Nnaji, through his spokesperson, Dr. Robert Ngwu, expressed frustration that the university had continued to withhold his transcript despite what he described as “clear evidence” of his graduation.

The Minister said he earned a BSc in Microbiology/Biochemistry with Second Class Honours (Lower Division) in 1985, insisting that the university had no justification to keep holding his records.

Nnaji argued that the story alleging that he had falsified the degree certificate he presented during his ministerial screening in 2023, dismissed the allegation as a smear campaign allegedly sponsored by a sitting governor seeking to remove him from office.

He expressed disbelief that although the university confirmed his graduation in an official letter in 2023, it issued another in May 2025 denying any record of his graduation.

He accused the Vice Chancellor of being “economical with the truth” and acting under political influence.

“It is increasingly clear that this entire episode is not about education or integrity, it is about political desperation, disguised as academic inquiry.

“The timing, the sources, the false documents, and the paid narratives all point to a coordinated campaign to drag a reputable public servant into the mud of partisan politics,” Nnaji stated.

He presented the University of Nigeria, Nsukka’s 1985 graduation brochure, which listed his name as “Nnaji Uchenna G” alongside his photograph and those of other graduating students. Nnaji also displayed a letter from the university’s Registrar, Dr. Celine Nnebedum, confirming that he was admitted in 1981 and graduated in 1985.

The Minister’s spokesperson further explained that the difference in names—“Nnaji Uchenna G” and “Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji”—was insignificant, adding that many Igbo names have interchangeable meanings and are often used alternately.

However, a third source described the controversy as “an embarrassment” to the administration.

Nnaji’s resignation makes him the eighth minister to exit President Tinubu’s cabinet since its inauguration on August 28, 2023. The most significant reshuffle occurred on October 23, 2024, when President Tinubu dismissed five ministers, reassigned ten others, and appointed seven new members in a bid to enhance government performance.