Uche Nnaji has resigned as Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology following mounting pressure over allegations of certificate forgery.
The embattled official, who has been at the center of a heated controversy involving his academic credentials and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) records, announced his immediate departure in a terse statement released late Tuesday.
His resignation was confirmed in a press statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to Onanuga, Nnaji resigned on Tuesday, October 7, 2025.
Onanuga explained that Uche Nnaji resigned as part of a commitment to restoring public trust.
The statement reads in part: “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has accepted the resignation of Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, following some allegations against him.
“President Tinubu appointed Nnaji in August 2023.
“He resigned today in a letter thanking the President for allowing him to serve Nigeria.
“Nnaji said he has been a target of blackmail by political opponents.
President Tinubu thanked him for his service and wished him well in future endeavours.”
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that Uche Nnaji resigned from his position after he was accused of forging a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).
Recall that the certificate forgery claims hit the headlines after UNN’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Simon Ortuanya, confirmed in a letter to investigative outlet Premium Times that while Nnaji was admitted in 1981, he “did not complete his studies” and was never issued the degree certificate he has long presented.
UNN’s letter also comes as Nnaji’s NYSC came under heavy scrutiny. He was also accused of forging his NYSC certificate.
However, Nnaji has vehemently denied the forgery claims.
Speaking through his spokesperson, Dr. Robert Ngwu, during a press briefing in Abuja on October 6, the minister dismissed the allegations as a “politically motivated witch-hunt” purportedly orchestrated by Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State to eliminate a rival ahead of the 2027 polls.
“The governor had given a new name to all his problems — Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji,” Ngwu said, alleging the attacks were linked to the governor’s political ambitions.
Ngwu further stated that Mbah, who is reportedly seeking a second term, views Nnaji as an obstacle to his rumoured plan to defect from the APC to the PDP.
The minister’s aide further stated that Nnaji had formally requested his academic transcript from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, to clear his name, but noted that the university failed to release it despite a court order.
He continued: “He asked the school to release his transcript. He applied for his transcript so that it becomes clear to everyone because it is the ultimate. So, that is why, even with the court order, they have not seen reasons to release his transcript.
“We have information that the minister’s file was kept under lock and key in the vice-chancellor’s office. Why would the file of a serving minister of the Federal Republic be sitting in your office?
“There is no actual discrepancy. In the Igbo language, ‘Uchenna’ or ‘Uchechukwu’ essentially carries the same meaning — often interpreted as ‘the will’ or ‘mind of God.’ They are commonly used interchangeably. The surname remains consistent.”
However, the Director of Information at the Enugu State Ministry of Information and Communication, Chukwuemeka Nebo, has denied Nnaji’s claims, stating that the government had no connection to the controversy.
“The Enugu State Government dissociates itself completely from these allegations. The honourable minister must carry his own cross and clear his name before Nigerians, instead of dragging the government into issues that are entirely personal to him,” Nebo said.
