Nigerian minister accused of forging qualifications resigns
Nigeria’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology Uche Nnaji has resigned just days after allegations emerged that he had forged his academic credentials.
The resignation follows a newspaper investigation which claimed NNAJI submitted falsified certificates to President Bola Tinubu during his 2023 ministerial appointment.
Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga confirmed NNAJI’s resignation in an article on X Tuesday, quoting the minister as saying he had been “a target of blackmail by political opponents.”
NNAJI denied the forgery charges and insisted that he graduated from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) with a degree in Microbiology/Biochemistry.
The allegations of counterfeiting have sparked outrage among some Nigerians, following a two-year investigation by the Premium Times newspaper.
Last week, UNN reportedly told the publication that it had no records confirming that the minister obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in 1985, as he had claimed.
A senior university official told the newspaper that NNAJI was admitted in 1981 but never completed his studies or obtained a certificate.
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) also said that the mandatory NNAJI national service certificate submitted in April 2023 could not be verified.
Opposition leader Atiku Abubakar called for an independent and transparent investigation into the matter, saying NNAJI should have been “summarily dismissed and prosecuted for deception and falsification.”
“Nigerians deserve to know the truth about those who preside over their lives and resources,” Abubakar posted on X.
The suspension or removal of a minister is rare in Nigeria – NNAJI is only the second to leave office since President Tinubu took power in May 2023.
Last January, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty, Betta Edu, was suspended following public outrage over a corruption scandal. At the time, Dr Edu, 37, denied any wrongdoing.
Tinubu’s predecessor, the late Muhammadu Buhari, sacked only two ministers during his eight-year tenure.
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