Embattled Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Uche Nnaji, has resigned from his position following allegations of certificate forgery.
President Bola Tinubu, who appointed Nnaji in August 2023, accepted his resignation, according to a statement issued by presidential aide Bayo Onanuga on Tuesday.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has accepted the resignation of Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, following some allegations against him,” Onanuga stated.
He added that Nnaji, in his resignation letter, thanked the President for the opportunity to serve the nation, claiming he had been a target of political blackmail. Tinubu, in turn, thanked the minister for his service and wished him well in his future endeavours.
Nnaji’s resignation comes days after a PREMIUM TIMES investigative report alleged that he submitted forged academic and NYSC certificates to President Tinubu and the Senate during his ministerial screening in 2023.
The report stated that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), disowned the degree certificate Nnaji presented, confirming that although he was admitted in 1981, he did not complete his studies and was never awarded a degree.
UNN Vice-Chancellor Simon Ortuanya confirmed this in a Freedom of Information response dated October 2, 2025. This contradicted an earlier statement by the university’s Registrar, Celine Nnebedum, who had in December 2023 affirmed Nnaji’s graduation but later recanted in a May 23, 2025, letter to the Public Complaints Commission, saying his name was not found in the 1985 graduation records.
The investigation also revealed that Nnaji admitted in a court affidavit that the university never issued him a degree certificate and that he had “never collected one.”
In September, Nnaji filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court against the Minister of Education, the National Universities Commission, UNN, and its Vice-Chancellor, seeking to restrain the university from “tampering” with his academic records.
The case was heard on Monday, with Sebastian Hon (SAN) representing Nnaji, while E.M. Asogwa appeared for UNN and its officials.
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