A federal government investigative panel has confirmed that the immediate past Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, forged a degree certificate purportedly obtained from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).
The seven-member panel, set up by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, was constituted on 23 November 2025 following a petition submitted by Nnaji in response to an earlier investigative report that questioned the authenticity of his academic credentials.
The panel submitted its report to the Minister of Education in December 2025 after conducting a detailed investigation that included document reviews, interviews, and verification of university records.
According to the report, investigators visited the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where they met with key officials and examined relevant institutional documents and archives.
Among those interviewed during the investigation were the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Simon Ortuanya; a former Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Oguejiofor Ujam; the Registrar, Celine Nnebedum; as well as staff members responsible for managing academic records.
The panel said it inspected Nnaji’s academic file and reviewed internal correspondence, registry movement logs, Senate-approved graduation lists, convocation records, electronic access logs, and other relevant documentation.
Members of the panel arrived in Nsukka on 23 November 2025 and formally notified the Vice-Chancellor of the purpose of their visit before commencing the investigation.
Findings of the panel revealed that although Nnaji was admitted into the university in the 1981/82 academic session to study Biological Sciences, he did not graduate from the institution.
The panel said its review of the Senate-approved graduation list for the 1985 set showed that Nnaji’s name was not included among the graduating students.
Investigators also examined several correspondences dated between November 1985 and May 1986 exchanged between Nnaji and the university’s Registry Department concerning a failed course, MCB 431 (Virology).
In one of the documents, a handwritten letter dated 19 May 1986 titled “Application to take course 431AB in September,” Nnaji reportedly explained that he was unable to sit for the examination scheduled for April 21, 1986 due to illness and attached a medical report to support the claim.
However, the panel said it could not find any record showing that Nnaji eventually retook or passed the failed course.
The investigators therefore questioned how he came to possess a certificate dated July 1985, which he had earlier submitted to President Bola Tinubu during his ministerial appointment and to the National Assembly during his confirmation process.
The panel’s findings align with earlier investigative reports which had indicated that the former minister forged both his university degree certificate and his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate.
Background to the controversy dates back to October 2023 when journalists began investigating the authenticity of Nnaji’s academic credentials.
During his ministerial screening and confirmation in 2023, Nnaji presented documents claiming that he graduated from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1985.
Amid growing scrutiny, the former minister filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking to restrain the university and its Vice-Chancellor from releasing his academic records.
Defendants in the suit included the University of Nigeria, Nsukka; its Vice-Chancellor; the Minister of Education; the National Universities Commission (NUC); the university’s registrar; a former acting vice-chancellor; and the university senate.
Before any court order was issued, however, the UNN Vice-Chancellor responded to a Freedom of Information request confirming that Nnaji did not graduate from the institution.
The university’s registrar later issued a separate confirmation stating that although Nnaji was admitted in 1981, he neither completed the programme nor received a degree certificate.
Authorities of the National Youth Service Corps also reportedly disowned the NYSC discharge certificate presented by the former minister.
Following the publication of the investigation exposing the alleged forgery, Nnaji resigned from his position as minister three days later.
Despite his resignation, several Nigerians have continued to call for his prosecution, arguing that stepping down from office was not sufficient given the seriousness of the allegations.
A legal practitioner, Liborous Oshoma, recently criticised the federal government for failing to prosecute the former minister, insisting that individuals found guilty of certificate forgery should face legal consequences and be barred from holding public office.
Meanwhile, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has commenced an investigation into the forgery allegations.
Sources familiar with the probe say the former minister could face prosecution if the ongoing investigation establishes that he falsified his academic credentials.
