UNN, NYSC Disown Certificates Being Paraded By Tinubu’s Technology Minister, Uche Nnaji
The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), has officially disowned the Bachelor of Science degree certificate claimed by Uche Nnaji, the Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation in President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The UNN said Nnaji never graduated from the institution and was never issued such a document.
The development brings new weight to allegations that have dogged Nnaji since July 2023, when he was named among the first batch of 28 ministerial nominees sent to the Senate by President Tinubu.
At the time, critics argued that his academic and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) credentials were fake, insisting he did not complete his studies at the Nsukka-based university, Premium Times reports.
In a response to a Freedom of Information request by Premium Times, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Simon U. Ortuanya, confirmed that while Mr Nnaji was admitted in 1981, there was no record that he finished his studies or graduated from the institution.
“We refer to your letter dated 29 September 2025 in respect of the above subject matter,” Mr Ortuanya stated in his letter dated 2 October 2025.
“We can confirm that Mr Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji, with Matriculation Number 1981/30725, was admitted by the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1981.
“From every available records and information from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, we are unable to confirm that Mr Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji, the current Minister of Science and Technology, graduated from the University of Nigeria in July 1985, as there are no records of his completion of study in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
“Flowing from above, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka DID NOT and consequently, COULD NOT have issued the purported certificate, or at all, in July 1985 to Mr Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji, the current Minister of Science and Technology.
This conclusion is also in consonance with an earlier letter dated May 13, 2025, ref. No, RUN/SR/R/V, issued by the University to the Public Complaints Commission in respect of the same subject matter (copy attached).”
This disclosure comes after an extensive investigation into Nnaji’s degree and NYSC certificates.
The investigation began in October 2023 after a whistleblower alerted reporters to discrepancies in the minister’s claims.
University records and testimonies showed that Nnaji failed to complete key courses, including Virology, and repeatedly absented himself from retake opportunities.
He was eventually advised to withdraw. Despite this, he later presented a certificate claiming he graduated in July 1985.
A letter he wrote to the university dated 1 May 1986, pleading to be allowed to retake an outstanding course — a request that was rejected – was also sighted.
The investigative team also obtained the official Order of Proceedings for the 20th Convocation Ceremony of 1985. Nnaji’s name was missing from the roll of graduates.
In addition to the university’s confirmation, the forensic review of the NYSC certificate presented by the minister uncovered glaring anomalies.
The document bore the signature of Colonel Animashaun Braimoh, who only became NYSC director in 1988, yet the certificate was dated May 1986.
Furthermore, it carried the title “National Director,” a designation introduced years later, while its numbering format was inconsistent with NYSC certificates of the 1980s.
The NYSC later confirmed that it had no record of issuing a certificate to Nnaji and could not authenticate the one he presented.
The contradictions extend to his ministerial screening.
On 1 August 2023, Mr Nnaji told senators he graduated from UNN in 1985 and served with NYSC in Jos the following year. His claims were broadcast live on national television. At his inauguration on 22 August 2023, his resume, which contained the disputed qualifications, was read out without challenge.
The university’s recent response also contradicts an earlier letter written by Registrar Celine Nnebedum to the People’s Gazette in December 2023, where she claimed Mr Nnaji graduated in July 1985.
She later recanted in May 2025 before the Public Complaints Commission, admitting that his name was not on the graduation list for that year.
Despite multiple efforts by Premium Times to obtain his reaction — including an enquiry formally acknowledged by his office on 18 January 2024, as well as follow-up calls, messages, and emails — Mr Nnaji has not responded.
The outcome of the investigation, reinforced by the university’s official position, leaves the minister facing damning accusations of forgery.
With both the degree and NYSC certificates discredited, the revelations cast fresh doubts over how Mr Nnaji secured career, business, and political opportunities over the years.
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Source: Premium Times