The Minister of Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, is expected to address the public today, Monday, 6 October, following a PREMIUM TIMES investigation that exposed evidence of certificate forgery in the credentials he submitted for his ministerial appointment.
The two-year investigation, published on Saturday, revealed that Mr Nnaji forged both his university degree and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificates, which he presented to President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian Senate during his confirmation in 2023.
Allegations of certificate falsification have trailed the minister since July 2023, when President Tinubu included his name among the first batch of 28 ministerial nominees forwarded to the Senate — barely two months after assuming office on 29 May 2023.
Critics had consistently alleged that Mr Nnaji never completed his university education and that the credentials he submitted to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), the State Security Service (SSS), and the Senate were not genuine.
PREMIUM TIMES’ detailed verification confirmed the suspicions, establishing that both the degree and NYSC certificates in the minister’s possession are forged. The newspaper also reported on Sunday that Mr Nnaji has since admitted that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) never issued him any degree certificate.
Mr Nnaji is expected to break his silence at a press conference scheduled for 2:00 p.m. today at the Raw Materials Research and Development Council, Maitama, Abuja. A copy of the invitation obtained by PREMIUM TIMES shows that the minister will address journalists directly on the matter.
The revelations have sparked widespread outrage and calls for accountability, as Nigerians await the minister’s official response to the damning findings.
EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.
