Nigeria’s Minister of Innovation, Science, and Expertise, Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, has resigned amid rising controversy surrounding allegations leveled towards him.
Nnaji, who was appointed in August 2023, tendered his resignation in a letter addressed to the President on Tuesday, expressing gratitude for the chance to serve the nation.
In an announcement issued by Bayo Onanuga, Particular Adviser to the President on Info and Technique, President Tinubu acknowledged Nnaji’s contribution to the administration’s innovation drive, significantly within the areas of digital analysis, indigenous expertise improvement, and scientific collaboration.
Backstory
The Minister has been enmeshed in an alleged certificates forgery scandal, following stories that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), has disowned the Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) diploma certificates he submitted to the Senate throughout his ministerial screening in August 2023.
In his 10-page curriculum vitae offered to the Senate—together with copies of his diploma and Nationwide Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificates—Nnaji claimed to have graduated from UNN with a B.Sc. in Biochemistry and Microbiology and accomplished his obligatory one-year NYSC service in Jos, Plateau State.
Nonetheless, the college has denied issuing the mentioned diploma certificates, insisting that Nnaji didn’t full his research on the establishment. In line with the college, the minister dropped out earlier than commencement, and as such, couldn’t have been issued the certificates he has been parading.
UNN’s place was revealed in response to a Freedom of Info (FOI) request by Premium Occasions, which had been investigating allegations of certificates and NYSC doc forgery linked to the Enugu State-born minister for a number of years.
The letter dated October 2, 2025 and signed by the Vice Chancellor of the college, Prof. Simon Ortuanya, learn: “We discuss with your letter dated 29 September 2025 in respect of the above material. We will verify that Mr Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji, with Matriculation Quantity 1981/30725, was admitted by the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1981.
“From each accessible information and knowledge from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, we’re unable to substantiate that Mr Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji, the present Minister of Science and Technology, graduated from the College of Nigeria in July 1985, as there are not any information of his completion of research within the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
“Flowing from above, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka didn’t and consequently, couldn’t have issued the purported certificates, or in any respect, in July 1985 to Mr Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji, the present Minister of Science and Technology. This conclusion can also be in consonance with an earlier letter dated Could 13, 2025, ref. No, RUN/SR/R/V, issued by the College to the Public Complaints Fee in respect of the identical material (copy hooked up).”
Nonetheless, UNN’s December 21, 2023, response is a stark contradiction of its earlier response to a Individuals’s Gazette enquiry on the matter, wherein the College’s Registrar, Celine Nnebedum, wrote that Nnaji graduated from the establishment in July 1985 – a place the college has voided in its FOI reply to the (PCC).
“We want to inform the Public Complaints Fee that now we have searched by the College of Nigeria commencement file for the 1985 session, and we couldn’t discover Mr Nnaji Geoffrey Uchechukwu’s title.
“There isn’t any indication that the certificates was issued by the College of Nigeria,” the reply to the Fee by the college learn partly.
What it’s best to know
On August 16, 2023, Nnaji was appointed because the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Expertise of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by President Tinubu.
In January, Nairametrics reported that Nnaji inspired 21 recipients of patent certificates to translate their innovations into marketable items and providers to drive Nigeria’s financial progress.
Earlier this yr, Nnaji introduced the FG’s controversial plan to ban the importation of photo voltaic panels into Nigeria, a transfer a number of consultants have opposed.
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