The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has called on the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to launch a thorough investigation into allegations of certificate forgery against the Minister of Science and Technology, Mr. Geoffrey Uche Nnaji.
In a petition signed by HEDA’s Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, addressed to the ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), the anti-corruption group urged the anti-graft body to probe the ex-minister over claims that he submitted forged academic and NYSC certificates during his ministerial screening and confirmation process.
According to the civil society organization, reports published by Peoples Gazette on June 6, 2024, and Premium Times on October 5, 2025, allege that Mr. Nnaji presented a fake Bachelor’s degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and a falsified National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate to the Presidency, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the State Security Service (SSS), and the Senate.
HEDA expressed concern that despite the discrepancies in the minister’s credentials, the SSS failed to detect the inconsistencies during its routine background checks a lapse the organization described as “disturbing and suggestive of possible compromise.”
Citing media investigations, Suraju noted that in a suit filed by Mr. Nnaji against the Minister of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), and UNN, he claimed to have graduated from the university in 1985 with a B.Sc. in Microbiology/Biochemistry. However, the Registrar of UNN, Mrs. Celine Nnedum, in a statement to the Public Complaints Commission (PCC), confirmed that the university’s 1985 graduation records contained no trace of Mr. Nnaji’s name.
Further compounding the controversy, the Vice-Chancellor of UNN, in a letter dated October 3, 2025, reportedly confirmed that Mr. Nnaji neither completed his studies nor was awarded any degree by the institution. The anti-corruption group also referenced conflicting correspondences from the UNN Registrar’s office, which initially claimed Mr. Nnaji graduated, and a later clarification by the Vice-Chancellor’s office that contradicted that claim, an inconsistency HEDA described as a deliberate attempt to “shield the disgraced minister.”
The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) is set to sanction its registrar, Ngozi Nnebedum, for making a false claim to Peoples Gazette and protecting the disgraced minister Uche Nnaji over his forged certificate. The Gazette had, in an email dated October 24, 2023, written to Mrs Nnebedum in her capacity as UNN’s registrar, requesting confirmation of Mr Nnaji’s alleged degree.
Suraju further emphasized that the ICPC has a constitutional responsibility to uphold integrity and moral standards in public service. “It is imperative that the Commission investigates this allegation and prosecutes all parties involved in the forgery and perjury scandal to restore public confidence in government institutions,” He added.
“Nigeria has witnessed an alarming rise in cases of certificate forgery among public officials, a development that undermines public trust and tarnishes the image of the country’s leadership.
HEDA reaffirmed its commitment to promoting accountability, transparency, and ethical governance in Nigeria and Africa, urging the ICPC to act swiftly and decisively on the petition to demonstrate that “no individual is above the law.”
