Follow Up: Minister Uche Nnaji Admits UNN Never Issued Him Degree Certificate, Confirms Forgery Allegations

By: Israel Adeleke

OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports that the Nigeria’s Minister of Science and Technology, Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, has admitted under oath that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), never issued him a Bachelor of Science degree certificate, a revelation that confirms findings from a two-year investigative report by PREMIUM TIMES which exposed him for submitting forged academic and NYSC credentials.

OTN News had earlier reported that Nnaji’s admission marks a major twist in a scandal that has trailed him since July 2023, when President Bola Tinubu nominated him among the first batch of 28 ministers forwarded to the Senate for screening.

Allegations of certificate forgery had dogged him from the onset, with critics insisting that he neither completed his studies at UNN nor participated legitimately in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme.

After months of public silence, the minister finally confirmed in court filings that UNN never issued him a degree certificate, effectively validating the PREMIUM TIMES report that concluded both his degree and NYSC discharge certificates were falsified.

OTN News observes that the confession was contained in paragraphs 12 and 13 of a 34-paragraph affidavit filed by Nnaji in a case he instituted at the Federal High Court in Abuja against the Minister of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), and top officials of UNN, including its Vice-Chancellor, Professor Simon Ortuanya, and Registrar, Celine Nnebedum.

In the suit before Justice Hauwa Yilwa, the minister sought an order of mandamus compelling UNN to release his academic transcript, as well as a restraining order prohibiting the university and its officials from “tampering with” his records.

He also asked the court to compel the Ministry of Education and the NUC to direct UNN to comply.

However, in his affidavit, Mr Nnaji made the striking admission that although he “graduated” in 1985, he had never been issued a certificate by the university.

He stated, “even though I am yet to collect my certificate from the 3rd Defendant (UNN), due largely to the non-cooperative attitude of the 3rd–5th Defendants (UNN, its Vice-Chancellor, and Registrar), the 3rd Defendant issued a letter dated 21st December 2023 to People’s Gazette… confirming that I graduated from the University of Nigeria in July 1985.”

That letter, signed by UNN Registrar Celine Nnebedum, initially affirmed that Nnaji graduated with a Second Class (Lower Division) in Microbiology/Biochemistry.

However, subsequent investigations by UNN discredited the letter after it was discovered that the minister’s name was not found in the university’s 1985 graduation records.

In a letter to the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) in May 2025, Registrar Nnebedum retracted the earlier confirmation, while Vice-Chancellor Ortuanya, in an official communication to PREMIUM TIMES dated October 3, 2025, stated categorically that Nnaji “did not complete his studies and was never awarded any degree” by the university.

A senior UNN official further clarified that internal investigations revealed Nnaji’s student file remained intact and clearly showed he dropped out before graduation.

“The truth of the matter is that he never graduated from here. His file contains details up to the point where he dropped out,” the official said.

The minister’s legal move, according to sources familiar with the case, was an attempt to block the university from releasing his academic records to PREMIUM TIMES and other investigative bodies. He also reportedly sought his transcript to verify where his studies ended.

Justice Yilwa, in her ruling of September 22, granted Nnaji leave to pursue three of his requests but declined to issue any injunction restraining the defendants from releasing records. The case is scheduled for further hearing on October 6.

The controversy surrounding Nnaji’s credentials began during his ministerial nomination process in August 2023, when he submitted a 10-page résumé and supporting documents to the Nigerian Senate. Among them were a purported Bachelor of Science degree from UNN and an NYSC discharge certificate, both of which PREMIUM TIMES has now confirmed as forgeries.

In his ministerial profile, Nnaji described himself as a “visionary industrialist, oil and gas expert, construction giant, healthcare practitioner, and pro-democracy activist.” 

He claimed to have studied Microbiology/Biochemistry at UNN, completed his NYSC in Jos, Plateau State, and worked at the University of Jos Teaching Hospital and Jos International Breweries.

However, multiple official verifications proved these claims false. The NYSC and UNN records both show that Nnaji neither graduated from the university nor completed the national service scheme, making his appointment as minister a violation of constitutional and ethical standards.

Despite repeated efforts, Nnaji has consistently declined to comment on the revelations. PREMIUM TIMES reported that the minister ignored detailed enquiries sent to his office on January 8, 2024, and refused to respond to follow-up calls, messages, and emails.

However, by his own admission, the embattled minister has now confirmed the core finding of the two-year investigation, that the University of Nigeria never issued him a degree certificate, raising pressing questions about the legitimacy of his credentials, his NYSC participation, and the integrity of his ministerial appointment.