Fresh revelations have emerged in the ongoing certificate scandal involving the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, as the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), officially disowned the degree certificate he submitted to the federal government.
According to documents obtained by journalists, UNN Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Simon Ortuanya, stated in a Freedom of Information response dated October 2 that Nnaji was not a graduate of the institution. The letter confirmed that though Nnaji was admitted in 1981, he did not complete his studies and was never awarded a degree.
This latest disclosure contradicts an earlier confirmation by the university’s Registrar, Celine Nnebedum, who in December 2023 certified that Nnaji graduated in 1985. However, Nnebedum later retracted her statement in a letter to the Public Complaints Commission dated May 23, 2025, stating that a search through the 1985 graduation records did not include Nnaji’s name.
The conflicting university responses followed a Premium Times investigation alleging that the minister presented forged academic and NYSC certificates during his ministerial screening in 2023.
Court documents also revealed that Nnaji admitted under oath that the university never issued him any certificate and that he “never collected one.” The admission has deepened the controversy surrounding his eligibility for public office.
The development has sparked calls for transparency and accountability within Nigeria’s education system, as observers question how a nominee with unverified credentials was cleared for a ministerial position.
