The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) has once again disowned the Bachelor of Science degree presented by Uche Nnaji, Nigeria’s recently resigned Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology.
In a new letter dated 6 October 2025, the university reiterated that although Mr. Nnaji was admitted in 1981, there is no record of his graduation or of any certificate being issued to him.
The statement was made in response to a Freedom of Information (FoI) request submitted by PREMIUM TIMES and was signed by Senior Deputy Registrar (Records), F.C. Achiuwa, on behalf of the university registrar, Celine Nnebedum.
“We have searched through the University of Nigeria graduation record for the 1985 session and we could not find Mr. Nnaji Geoffrey Uchechukwu’s name,” the letter stated.
“There is no indication that the certificate in his possession was issued by the University of Nigeria.”
This latest letter aligns with an earlier response from the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Simon Ortuanya, dated 2 October 2025, which also stated that Mr. Nnaji did not graduate from the institution and that no certificate was issued to him.
“From every available record, we are unable to confirm that Mr. Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji graduated from the University of Nigeria in July 1985,” the Vice-Chancellor wrote.
“The University of Nigeria, Nsukka DID NOT and therefore COULD NOT have issued the purported certificate to him.”
This marks the third official communication from UNN discrediting the certificate since May 2025, when the university first clarified to the Public Complaints Commission that there was no evidence of Nnaji’s graduation or certificate issuance.
The current statements also contradict a previous letter dated 21 December 2023, in which Registrar Celine Nnebedum had told People’s Gazette that Mr. Nnaji graduated in July 1985. That claim has since been formally retracted.
The latest developments support a recent investigative report by PREMIUM TIMES, which alleged that Mr. Nnaji forged not only his UNN degree but also his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate to secure his ministerial nomination in 2023.
Mr. Nnaji resigned from his ministerial role on October 7, 2025, citing political persecution and blackmail amid the growing scandal surrounding his academic credentials.
