President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has accepted the resignation of Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, following mounting allegations that he forged his university degree certificate.
The President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the development in a statement on Monday, noting that Tinubu had accepted the minister’s decision to step down.
“President Tinubu has accepted the resignation of Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, following certain allegations against him,” Onanuga said.
Nnaji, who was appointed in August 2023, resigned in a letter thanking the President for the opportunity to serve, while alleging that he had been a target of political blackmail.
The President reportedly thanked Nnaji for his service and wished him success in his future endeavours.
His resignation followed a PREMIUM TIMES investigation revealing that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), had disowned the Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology/Biochemistry claimed by Nnaji. The university stated that he neither graduated from the institution nor was issued a degree certificate.
The development reignited controversy dating back to July 2023, when Nnaji’s nomination as minister drew criticism over the authenticity of his academic and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) credentials.
In response to a Freedom of Information request, UNN Vice-Chancellor, Professor Simon Ortuanya, confirmed that although Nnaji was admitted in 1981, there was no record he completed his studies or graduated.
Further court documents obtained by PREMIUM TIMES showed that Nnaji admitted in an affidavit filed before Justice Hauwa Yilwa of the Federal High Court, Abuja, that he had never collected any certificate from the university.
Nnaji, however, claimed he finished his programme in 1985 but was unable to obtain his certificate due to the alleged “non-cooperative attitude” of UNN officials. He also referred to a controversial December 21, 2023 letter purportedly issued by the university confirming his graduation — a letter that UNN has since declared invalid.
In a May 2025 correspondence to the Public Complaints Commission (PCC), UNN Registrar, Mrs. Celine Nnebedum, clarified that a review of the university’s 1985 graduation records found no entry for Geoffrey Uche Nnaji.
