Minister Nnaji Resigns Amid Certificate Forgery Scandal, Tinubu Accepts Resignation

President Bola Tinubu has accepted the resignation of the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Geoffrey Nnaji, following allegations that he forged his academic and NYSC certificates.

According to a statement released on Tuesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Nnaji tendered his resignation in a letter expressing gratitude to President Tinubu for the opportunity to serve. The President, in turn, thanked him for his service and wished him success in his future endeavours.

Presidency sources revealed that Tinubu had privately asked Nnaji to resign honourably rather than be dismissed publicly. The decision was finalized during a meeting at the State House on Tuesday evening, attended by the President and his key advisers.

Nnaji’s resignation comes just days after an investigative report by Premium Times alleged that he submitted forged academic and NYSC certificates during his ministerial nomination in 2023. The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), reportedly disowned his degree certificate, stating that although he was admitted in 1981, he never completed his studies or earned a degree.

Documents obtained by the newspaper showed conflicting responses from UNN officials. While the Registrar had initially confirmed Nnaji’s graduation in 2023, a later statement in May 2025 retracted the claim, noting that his name was not found in the university’s 1985 graduation records.

In a counterstatement, Nnaji dismissed the allegations as politically motivated, accusing a sitting governor of orchestrating a smear campaign to remove him from office. He maintained that he legitimately earned a B.Sc. in Microbiology/Biochemistry in 1985 and presented the university’s 1985 graduation brochure as evidence.

Despite his defence, sources within the Presidency described the controversy as “an embarrassment” to the administration. Nnaji’s exit makes him the eighth minister to leave Tinubu’s cabinet since its inauguration in August 2023, following a series of reshuffles, resignations, and suspensions that have marked the administration’s efforts to maintain integrity within its ranks.