The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) has officially refuted claims that it awarded a degree to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji.
The institution has stated unequivocally that its records confirm the minister never completed his studies, directly contradicting the academic credentials he has long presented to the public.
The clarification came in an official letter from the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Simon Ortuanya, addressed to Premium Times.
The letter confirmed that while Nnaji did gain admission to the prestigious university in 1981, he did not fulfill the requirements for graduation.
“From every available record, we are unable to confirm that he graduated in July 1985,” Prof. Ortuanya wrote, adding with definitive emphasis, “The university DID NOT and COULD NOT have issued the purported certificate.” This statement leaves no room for ambiguity, presenting a direct institutional rebuttal to the minister’s claimed educational background.
This disclosure follows a meticulous investigative report by Premium Times, which initially uncovered serious discrepancies in the minister’s documentation.
The investigation raised red flags not only about his UNN degree certificate but also about his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate.
The newspaper alleged that the NYSC certificate was signed by a director who was not in office at the time it was supposedly issued in 1986.
Furthermore, the certificate indicated a 13-month service period that, perplexingly, appeared to have begun before his claimed graduation date—a chronological impossibility.
According to university officials who spoke with the investigators, the root of the issue lies in Nnaji’s academic performance. They reported that he failed core courses in the Biochemistry and Microbiology programme and was subsequently advised to withdraw. His name is conspicuously absent from the official list of graduates for the class of 1985.
These findings collectively suggest that the academic and national service credentials presented by the minister were forged, fundamentally undermining his long-standing public claim of holding a combined degree in Biochemistry and Microbiology from UNN.
As of the latest updates, neither Minister Nnaji nor his ministry has issued an official response to the university’s damning statement, leaving a cloud of uncertainty over his position and qualifications.
Furthermore, the certificate indicated a 13-month service period that, perplexingly, appeared to have begun before his claimed graduation date—a chronological impossibility.
According to university officials who spoke with the investigators, the root of the issue lies in Nnaji’s academic performance. They reported that he failed core courses in the Biochemistry and Microbiology programme and was subsequently advised to withdraw. His name is conspicuously absent from the official list of graduates for the class of 1985.
These findings collectively suggest that the academic and national service credentials presented by the minister were forged, fundamentally undermining his long-standing public claim of holding a combined degree in Biochemistry and Microbiology from UNN.
As of the latest updates, neither Minister Nnaji nor his ministry has issued an official response to the university’s damning statement, leaving a cloud of uncertainty over his position and qualifications.