President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has accepted the resignation of Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, following allegations of certificate forgery.
Nnaji, appointed in August 2023, tendered his resignation on Tuesday, thanking President Tinubu for the opportunity to serve. The President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced the development in a statement the same day.
In his resignation letter, Nnaji claimed he was a victim of political blackmail, which influenced his decision to step aside. President Tinubu, in his response, commended the former minister’s service and wished him well in his future endeavours.
The controversy surrounding Nnaji’s credentials deepened after PREMIUM TIMES reported on Saturday that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), had officially disowned the Bachelor of Science certificate he claimed to hold.
The university clarified that Nnaji neither graduated from the institution nor received any degree certificate from it. This revelation reignited long-standing allegations dating back to July 2023, when critics questioned the authenticity of his academic and NYSC records during his ministerial nomination.
In response to a Freedom of Information request, UNN Vice-Chancellor, Professor Simon U. Ortuanya, confirmed that while Nnaji was admitted in 1981, there was no evidence he completed his studies or graduated.
Further reports by PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday revealed that Nnaji himself admitted in court filings before Justice Hauwa Yilwa of the Federal High Court, Abuja, that UNN never issued him a degree certificate.
The former minister had sued the Minister of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), UNN, its Vice-Chancellor, the Registrar, and others, over the controversy.
In a verifying affidavit supporting his motion ex parte, Nnaji stated that he was admitted in 1981 to study Microbiology/Biochemistry and claimed to have completed the programme in 1985. However, he acknowledged that he never collected any certificate from the university.
He also referenced a December 21, 2023, letter purportedly issued by UNN’s Registrar, Celine Nnebedum, to People’s Gazette, which claimed he graduated in 1985 with a Second Class (Lower Division). The university later invalidated the letter.
In May 2025, Registrar Nnebedum informed the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) that after a review of UNN’s 1985 graduation records, Nnaji’s name was not found.
