UNN Disowns Minister Uche’s Degree, Confirms Tinubu’s Appointee Never Graduated or Received Certificate

By: Israel Adeleke

OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports as gathered that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), has officially disowned the Bachelor of Science degree certificate presented by the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Uche Nnaji, declaring that the politician neither completed his studies at the institution nor was ever issued a certificate.

OTN News further reports as gathered that this revelation follows a two-year investigative probe by PREMIUM TIMES, which uncovered strong evidence that Mr. Nnaji forged both his university degree and his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate, two documents that have bolstered his business, political, and public life for decades.

In a response dated October 2, 2025, to a Freedom of Information (FoI) requested by PREMIUM TIMES, the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Simon U. Ortuanya, confirmed that although Mr. Nnaji was admitted to study at the university in 1981, he did not complete his programme and therefore could not have been issued any certificate.

According to him, “we refer to your letter dated 29 September 2025 in respect of the above subject matter. We can confirm that Mr Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji, with Matriculation Number 1981/30725, was admitted by the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1981.

“From every available records and information from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, we are unable to confirm that Mr Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji, the current Minister of Science and Technology, graduated from the University of Nigeria in July 1985, as there are no records of his completion of study in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

“Flowing from above, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka DID NOT and consequently, COULD NOT have issued the purported certificate, or at all, in July 1985 to Mr Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji, the current Minister of Science and Technology."

"This conclusion is also in consonance with an earlier letter dated May 13, 2025, ref. No, RUN/SR/R/V, issued by the University to the Public Complaints Commission in respect of the same subject matter (copy attached).” he wrote.

OTN News observes that the vice-chancellor’s statement directly contradicts an earlier claim made by the university’s registrar, Mrs. Celine Nnebedum, who, in a December 2023 response to People’s Gazette, had asserted that the minister graduated from UNN in July 1985.

However, Mrs. Nnebedum later retracted her statement before the Public Complaints Commission in May 2025, confirming that a review of the university’s graduation records for the 1985 session did not include Mr. Nnaji’s name.

OTN News further observes that Prof. Ortuanya’s correspondence has now validated PREMIUM TIMES’ two-year-long investigation, which began in October 2023 after a whistleblower alerted the newsroom to inconsistencies in Mr. Nnaji’s academic credentials.

Furthermore, OTN News recalls that the allegations of certificate forgery against Mr. Nnaji surfaced in July 2023, shortly after President Bola Tinubu nominated him among the first batch of 28 ministerial nominees forwarded to the Senate for screening.

During his confirmation hearing on August 1, 2023, Mr. Nnaji confidently told lawmakers that he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry and Microbiology from UNN in 1985 and completed his NYSC programme in Jos, Plateau State, in 1986.

However, PREMIUM TIMES’ subsequent investigation revealed that both claims were false. The university confirmed he never graduated, while the NYSC disowned the certificate he presented.

A forensic analysis of the minister’s NYSC and degree certificates conducted by PREMIUM TIMES revealed glaring inconsistencies.

The NYSC certificate, purportedly dated May 15, 1986, carried the signature of Colonel Animashaun Braimoh, an officer who did not assume office as NYSC Director until January 1988, nearly two years after the certificate’s stated date.

Further discrepancies emerged in the certificate numbering system and job titles used. At the time, the head of the NYSC was officially designated as “Director,” but Mr. Nnaji’s document bore the title “National Director,” a nomenclature that was not adopted until the 1990s.

Additionally, while all genuine certificates from that era carried purely numeric serial numbers, Mr. Nnaji’s was labeled “A231309,” a combination format introduced years later.

The certificate also falsely indicated that the minister served for 13 months, from April 16, 1985, to May 15, 1986, even though NYSC service has always lasted exactly 12 months.

At the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, PREMIUM TIMES reporters confirmed that although Mr. Nnaji was admitted to study Biological Sciences in the 1981/82 academic session, he failed several courses, including Virology (course code MCB 431AB).

A senior staff member at the institution disclosed that after repeatedly missing makeup exams and failing to meet academic requirements, Mr. Nnaji was advised to withdraw.

In a desperate move, he wrote to the university on May 1, 1986, pleading for permission to retake an outstanding terminal course, but his request was denied.

Official convocation records for the 1985 graduating set also did not contain his name, confirming he was not among those who completed their studies that year.

The report further noted that following multiple FoI requests sent between February 2024 and September 2025, the university initially failed to respond, with officials allegedly demanding a ₦15,000 “processing fee” from the newspaper’s correspondent. 

The university only provided a definitive response after PREMIUM TIMES sent a follow-up letter in late September 2025, attaching copies of the certificates Mr. Nnaji submitted to the Senate.

Interestingly, the university’s response also referenced an earlier correspondence with the Public Complaints Commission dated May 13, 2025, reaffirming that it did not issue the minister any degree certificate.

At the NYSC headquarters in Abuja, two senior officials who reviewed the minister’s certificate described it as counterfeit. 

In its official response to news platform’ formal inquiry on September 23, 2023, the NYSC stated that there were no records of any certificate issued in Mr. Nnaji’s name, confirming that the document could not be authenticated.

Despite repeated efforts by the news platform to obtain his reaction, Mr. Nnaji has remained silent. A formal letter seeking his comment, dated January 8, 2024, was acknowledged by his office on January 18, 2024, but the minister neither replied nor responded to multiple phone calls, text messages, and emails that followed, the report added.

The development has, however, sparked widespread outrage among civil society groups and governance watchdogs, who have called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately suspend Mr. Nnaji pending a full investigation.

Also, legal experts argue that if proven true, the allegations could amount to forgery, perjury, and breach of public trust, offences punishable under Nigerian law.

OTN News observes that as pressure mounts, many Nigerians are now questioning how Mr. Nnaji managed to pass through multiple layers of vetting, including the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the State Security Service (SSS), and the Senate, despite presenting evidently fraudulent credentials.