Abuja – March 6, 2026
A seven-member investigative panel constituted by the Federal Ministry of Education has formally concluded that the immediate past Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, did not graduate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and that the Bachelor of Science degree certificate he presented during his ministerial screening in August 2023 is forged.
The panel’s final report, submitted to Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa in December 2025, states unequivocally that Nnaji’s name does not appear on the Senate-approved graduation list for the 1984/85 academic session—the purported year of issuance of the certificate dated July 1985. Investigators also established that he failed a compulsory final-year course (Virology, MCB 431) in 1985, applied to retake it in May 1986 citing ill health, but left no academic record of ever passing the course or satisfying other graduation conditions.
The 45-page report, which has been obtained and independently reviewed by several national newspapers including Premium Times, Daily Trust, The Punch and ThisDay, outlines the panel’s multi-layered methodology: exhaustive documentary review of Senate minutes, graduation lists and student files; structured interviews with current and former university officials; physical verification of record-keeping procedures; and forensic technical audit of certificate security features, paper stock, typography, ink analysis and signature comparison.
The investigative committee was chaired by Mrs. Rakiya Gambo Ilyasu, Director of University Education in the Federal Ministry of Education. Other members included nominees from the National Universities Commission (NUC), Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Code of Conduct Bureau, and two independent forensic document examiners accredited by the Nigerian Institute of Forensic Science.
How the Probe Began
The panel was inaugurated on November 23, 2025, following a petition dated October 14, 2025, which Nnaji himself submitted to Minister Alausa. In the six-page document, the then-serving minister accused UNN Vice-Chancellor Prof. Simon Otuka Ortuanya and former Acting Vice-Chancellor Prof. Oguejiofor Ujam of serious misconduct, including:
- unethical and unauthorised disclosure of his private academic records
- tampering with or fabricating official correspondence
- improper access to his student file
- colluding with certain media houses to publish defamatory and politically motivated stories about his qualifications
Nnaji demanded that the ministry investigate the university for alleged breaches of the Freedom of Information Act 2011, the Code of Conduct for public officers, and UNN’s internal regulations on student data privacy. The irony was not lost on observers: the petitioner’s own complaint triggered the forensic examination that ultimately exposed the very forgery he had sought to discredit.
Core Findings
Absence from 1985 Graduation List
The panel examined the official 1984/85 graduation list approved by the UNN Senate on July 25, 1985. Nnaji (matriculation number 81/82/NG/1342, admitted 1981/82 session, Biological Sciences – Microbiology option) is not listed among graduates in his department or in the overall convocation roster.
Unresolved Failed Course
Academic records confirm Nnaji failed Virology (MCB 431) in the 1984/85 session. A handwritten application dated May 19, 1986, signed by Nnaji, requested permission to retake the course due to ill health that prevented him from sitting the earlier examination. No carry-over result, re-examination clearance or subsequent passing grade appears in his file or in departmental grade books.
Certificate Forensics
Technical audit revealed multiple inconsistencies when compared with authentic UNN certificates issued in 1985: mismatched paper watermark and texture, non-standard font kerning, irregular signature stroke pressure, absence of expected micro-print security features, and mismatched registrar’s signature specimen.
NYSC Disownment
The National Youth Service Corps Directorate confirmed it never issued the discharge certificate Nnaji presented during ministerial screening. The certificate number, batch code and call-up details do not exist in NYSC archives.
Timeline of Events
- November 2025 – Premium Times publishes investigative report revealing Nnaji did not graduate from UNN and that NYSC had disowned his discharge certificate.
- November 26, 2025 – Nnaji resigns as Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology; President Tinubu accepts resignation same day and orders probe.
- November 23, 2025 – Investigative panel constituted (ironically following Nnaji’s own petition).
- December 2025 – Panel submits report to Minister Alausa confirming forgery.
- March 2026 – ICPC confirms active criminal investigation; public calls for prosecution intensify.
Calls for Prosecution Intensify
Senior Advocate of Nigeria Liborous Oshoma described the findings as “a textbook case of forgery under Sections 363–366 of the Criminal Code Act and Section 1(2)(c) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.” He criticised the Federal Government for what he termed “selective lethargy” in prosecuting high-profile certificate forgery cases.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) confirmed on March 3, 2026, that it has formally opened a criminal investigation. Spokesperson Mrs. Rasheedat Aderinoye stated: “We are reviewing the ministry panel report, university records, asset declaration forms submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau, and other relevant documents. Where prima facie evidence of criminal conduct exists, prosecution will be instituted without fear or favour.”
Civil society groups including the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Transparency International Nigeria and the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) have demanded immediate prosecution, arguing that resignation is inadequate remedy for what they describe as a deliberate fraud on the Nigerian state and legislature.
The University of Nigeria, through Public Relations Officer Mr. Nnamdi Ogbu, welcomed the panel’s findings and reiterated that the institution had always maintained Nnaji did not graduate. “We provided every requested document transparently and cooperated fully,” Ogbu said.
Political commentators note that the Nnaji case is the latest in a long line of high-profile certificate controversies in Nigeria that have ended ministerial careers and triggered criminal trials (examples include former Speaker Patricia Etteh, Senator Dino Melaye’s NYSC saga, and ex-Minister Isa Pantami’s degree verification drama). The matter is now widely seen as a test of the Tinubu administration’s anti-corruption resolve—particularly whether senior appointees will face the full weight of the law when forgery is proven.
As the ICPC investigation progresses, legal experts anticipate that any eventual trial could set important judicial precedents on the criminal liability of public officers who tender forged academic credentials for appointment to high office.
