BREAKING: Tinubu’s Minister in Certificate Forgery Scandal as UNN Disowns His Degree

Sahara reporters has taken to its official X handle and announced that the, Nigeria’s political space has been rocked by a fresh scandal as the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), has officially disowned the academic certificate of Uche Nnaji, the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet.

In a bombshell letter dated October 2, 2025, the Vice-Chancellor of UNN, Prof. Simon Ortuanya, declared that while Nnaji was admitted into the university in 1981 to study Biological Sciences, he never completed his programme and was therefore never awarded any degree.

> “From every available record, we are unable to confirm that Mr. Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji graduated from the University of Nigeria in July 1985. There are no records of his completion of studies. The University of Nigeria, Nsukka DID NOT and consequently, COULD NOT have issued the purported certificate in July 1985 to Mr. Nnaji,” Prof. Ortuanya wrote.

Credentials Under Fire

This confirmation vindicates longstanding suspicions. Whispers about inconsistencies in the minister’s credentials began in July 2023, when his name was forwarded to the Senate for ministerial confirmation. Critics accused him of neither completing his degree at UNN nor legitimately participating in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

Despite this, Nnaji appeared confident during his Senate screening on August 1, 2023, telling lawmakers—live on national television—that he graduated with a degree in Biochemistry and Microbiology in 1985 and served in Jos the following year.

But forensic experts later uncovered alarming red flags in both his degree and NYSC certificates.

Forensic Red Flags

NYSC Anomalies: His certificate, dated May 15, 1986, bore the signature of Col. Animashaun Braimoh, who only became NYSC Director in 1988. It also carried the wrong title, “National Director,” and used alphanumeric numbering (A231309) years before it was introduced. Shockingly, the certificate showed that he served for 13 months instead of the statutory 12.

Degree Timeline Confusion: His alleged UNN certificate claimed he graduated in July 1985, yet his NYSC service supposedly began in April that same year—three months before graduation, a timeline impossible under Nigerian law.

UNN Records Tell a Different Story

Investigations at UNN showed that while Nnaji was indeed admitted in 1981, he repeatedly failed key courses, including Virology (MCB 431AB). He missed several opportunities to retake his exams and was eventually advised to withdraw.

A personal letter written by Nnaji himself on May 1, 1986, exposed his desperation. In it, he pleaded with the university to allow him to sit for an outstanding final course in September 1986—long after the supposed 1985 graduation date.

Curiously, in December 2023, UNN’s Registrar, Mrs. Celine Nnebedum, initially told reporters that Nnaji graduated in 1985, only to retract her statement before the Public Complaints Commission in May 2025, admitting the institution found no record of his graduation.

The Vice-Chancellor’s latest letter now puts the matter beyond dispute: the certificate the minister has been parading for decades is fake.

National Embarrassment

The scandal raises urgent questions about Nigeria’s vetting processes. How did Nnaji’s forged documents pass through the Department of State Services (DSS), the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), the Senate, and even the Presidency without detection?

Legal experts warn that under Nigerian law, forgery of academic and NYSC certificates is a serious offence, punishable by imprisonment and dismissal from public office.

As of press time, neither Minister Nnaji nor the Presidency had issued a response. But the revelation threatens to trigger a storm in President Tinubu’s administration, already grappling with multiple credibility crises.