President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has accepted the resignation of Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, following allegations of certificate forgery after the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), disowned his academic credentials.
The development was confirmed on Tuesday in a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga.
Mr. Nnaji, appointed in August 2023, submitted his resignation letter earlier on Tuesday, expressing appreciation to President Tinubu for the opportunity to serve the nation. He also claimed in his letter that he had been a victim of blackmail from political adversaries, which influenced his decision to step down.
President Tinubu, while accepting the resignation, thanked the former minister for his service and wished him success in future endeavours.
The controversy surrounding Mr. Nnaji’s academic record resurfaced last weekend after PREMIUM TIMES reported that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, had officially disowned the Bachelor of Science degree certificate he presented. The university stated unequivocally that Nnaji never graduated from the institution and was never issued any degree.
According to records obtained through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, UNN Vice-Chancellor, Professor Simon U. Ortuanya, confirmed that while Nnaji was admitted in 1981 to study Microbiology/Biochemistry, there was no record that he completed his studies or graduated.
In court filings before Justice Hauwa Yilwa of the Federal High Court, Abuja, Nnaji reportedly admitted that the university never issued him any certificate. The filings showed that he had sued the Minister of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), the University of Nigeria, its Vice-Chancellor, Registrar, and other officials, alleging non-cooperation over his academic records.
In his sworn affidavit, Nnaji stated that although he completed his studies in 1985, he had yet to collect his certificate due to what he described as the “non-cooperative attitude” of university authorities. However, UNN later invalidated a letter purportedly issued by its Registrar, Celine Nnebedum, in December 2023, which claimed Nnaji graduated with a Second Class (Lower Division) in Microbiology/Biochemistry.
Further investigations revealed that in May 2025, the same Registrar wrote to the Public Complaints Commission confirming that Nnaji’s name was missing from the university’s 1985 graduation records.
The scandal, which first emerged in mid-2023 when Nnaji’s name appeared on Tinubu’s initial ministerial list, had sparked widespread criticism over the authenticity of his academic and NYSC credentials. His resignation marks the latest in a string of controversies involving federal appointees under scrutiny for questionable qualifications.
