The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have disowned the academic and service certificates presented by Uche Nnaji, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation under President Bola Tinubu.
In a formal response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, UNN Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Simon Ortuanya, confirmed that while Nnaji was admitted into the institution in 1981, records showed he neither completed his studies nor graduated in 1985, as he has claimed.
“From every available record, Mr Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji did not complete his studies. The University of Nigeria could not and did not issue him the certificate he claims to hold,” Prof. Ortuanya stated in a letter dated October 2, 2025.
This position aligns with a May 2025 communication by the university to the Public Complaints Commission, which equally affirmed that Nnaji’s name was missing from the official roll of graduates at the 20th convocation in 1985.
Investigations by Premium Times further revealed that Nnaji had failed crucial courses, including Virology, repeatedly skipped resits, and was eventually advised to withdraw. A letter written by him in May 1986, pleading for another chance to retake an outstanding course, was also uncovered—contradicting his graduation claim.
The NYSC certificate presented by the minister was also found to be riddled with inconsistencies. The document bore the signature of Colonel Animashaun Braimoh, who only became NYSC director in 1988, even though the certificate was dated May 1986. It also carried titles and numbering formats that were not in use at the time. The NYSC has since confirmed that it had no record of Nnaji’s participation or discharge.
Despite these discrepancies, Nnaji maintained before the Senate during his ministerial screening on August 1, 2023, that he graduated from UNN in 1985 and served with NYSC in Jos the following year. His claims were read out again during his inauguration later that month.
Interestingly, a December 2023 letter from UNN’s Registrar, Celine Nnebedum, had initially affirmed Nnaji’s graduation, but she later retracted the claim before the Public Complaints Commission in May 2025, admitting his name was not on the 1985 list.
Since questions over his credentials first surfaced in July 2023, Nnaji has repeatedly ignored requests for comment. His office acknowledged receipt of inquiries from journalists in January 2024 but never provided a response.
With both the university and NYSC disowning the documents, the minister now faces grave allegations of forgery, raising fresh doubts about how he built his career and political profile over the years.
