President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has accepted the resignation of Dr Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, following escalating allegations of certificate forgery involving his academic qualifications and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) credentials.
The announcement was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by Mr Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy. He said the President took the decision “after due consideration of the weight of the allegations and in the interest of accountability and good governance.”
Before stepping down, Mr Nnaji had faced growing public scrutiny over claims that his university and NYSC certificates were falsified. He reportedly stated that he graduated from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) in 1975, but the institution was unable to verify the authenticity of the qualification.
According to a two-year investigative report by a national daily, Mr Nnaji allegedly forged the documents he presented to President Tinubu and to the Senate during his ministerial screening in 2023. The report claimed that both the bachelor’s degree and NYSC discharge certificate submitted by the minister were invalid.
Sources within UNN confirmed that although Mr Nnaji was admitted to the university in 1981, he did not complete his academic programme and was never awarded a degree. The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Simon Ortuanya, reportedly said, “The university’s records show that Mr Nnaji did not graduate, and no degree certificate was issued in his name.”
The report further cited NYSC officials as saying that the discharge certificate presented by the embattled minister was “strange to the system” and could not be traced to any official record.
Mr Nnaji’s troubles began shortly after his nomination in July 2023, when he was among the first batch of 28 ministerial nominees forwarded to the Senate for screening. Allegations of forgery shadowed his confirmation process, prompting civil society groups and transparency advocates to call for a comprehensive investigation.
Following his resignation, President Tinubu has reportedly instructed that an acting minister be appointed to oversee the ministry while the matter undergoes further review.
The Presidency stated that the administration remains devoted to integrity and transparency, adding that public officials are expected to “maintain the highest ethical and moral standards in the service of the nation.”
In his resignation letter dated October 7, 2025, Mr Nnaji thanked the President for the opportunity to serve and said his decision was made “in the best interest of the government and the Nigerian people
