ABUJA, Nigeria — A high-powered federal investigative panel has delivered a crushing blow to the reputation of the former Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Uche Nnaji, concluding that his degree certificate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) was forged.
The seven-member panel, inaugurated by Education Minister Tunji Alausa to probe discrepancies in the academic credentials of top officials, submitted its final report in December 2025. The findings effectively end months of speculation regarding the authenticity of the former minister’s educational background.
The Paper Trail to Nowhere
According to the panel’s report, a exhaustive review of UNN’s academic files and Senate graduation lists revealed no record of Nnaji ever completing the requirements for the degree he claimed.
Investigators reportedly traveled to the Nsukka campus to verify the documents presented by the former minister during his screening process. Their findings were stark: the serial numbers on the certificate did not align with the university’s official registry, and his name was conspicuously absent from the convocation brochures for the year in question.
A Tightening Noose
The scandal comes as a major embarrassment to the administration, which has recently intensified its crackdown on “degree mills” and certificate racketeering within the public sector.
“The panel left no stone unturned,” a source close to the Ministry of Education stated. “From university records to internal memos, the evidence was overwhelming. This wasn’t just a clerical error; it was a deliberate falsification of academic achievement.”
Legal and Political Fallout
With the report now formally submitted, pressure is mounting on the Federal Government to initiate criminal proceedings for perjury and forgery. Legal experts suggest that the indictment could lead to the forfeiture of salaries and allowances earned during his tenure as minister, as the position was secured on a fraudulent premise.
As of press time, Uche Nnaji has not issued an official response to the panel’s findings, though his associates have previously dismissed the allegations as a “political witch-hunt.”
