A civil society organisation, the Global Gender Safety & Moral Development (GGSMD), has demanded the immediate resignation of the Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology, Uche Nnaji, over alleged certificate forgery, calling for a full-scale investigation by security and regulatory agencies.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, October 6, 2025, the Executive Director of GGSMD, Comrade Godwin Erheriene, accused the embattled minister of “bringing shame upon the office he occupies” and urged him to step aside to allow for an independent probe.
The group stated: “We note, too, the Federal Government’s statement of 23 August 2024 that some 21,600 purported Nigerian graduates were in possession of degrees later determined to be fake, according to the Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman. That announcement showed the government’s awareness of the scale of certificate fraud and its stated intention to flush fake qualifications out of public service.
“In the light of these developments, and in the interest of upholding the rule of law and public confidence in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s anti-corruption agenda, GGSMD demands that the Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology: Tender his immediate resignation; Submit himself to the relevant security agencies for a prompt and transparent investigation into the authenticity of his qualifications; and
Cooperate fully with any inquiry or verification process so that the truth is established without any delay instead of rushing to the court to waste the time of the judge and also waste taxpayers money trying to defend something you know is fake.”
The group added: “If these steps are not taken, GGSMD will have no option but to exercise its constitutional rights to peaceful protest at the Federal Ministry of Science, Innovation and Technology to press for accountability.
“From our findings, we also discovered that DSS did not do their job very well because if they had done a perfect job is investigating and scrutinising every document before it get to the National Assembly for National assignments we won’t have someone with fake B.Sc Degree and fake NYSC certificates been a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The question here is, how did Uche Nnaji documents beat all the security checks?
“We urge President Bola Tinubu to ensure that this matter is handled with the utmost transparency, fairness and urgency. If the government is serious about fighting corruption and preserving the integrity of public office, no member of the cabinet should be immune from scrutiny.”
Meanwhile, Uche Nnaji had made a U-turn, dismissing reports questioning the authenticity of his academic qualifications.
He insisted that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), officially issued him a degree certificate confirming his graduation in 1985.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Monday, Nnaji serving in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet, said through his spokesperson, Dr. Robert Ngwu, that the recent allegations of certificate forgery were “deliberate misinformation,” politically motivated, and circulated in the media.
“Let me state clearly and for the record: Chief Uche Nnaji is a proud alumnus of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), having graduated in July 1985 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology/Biochemistry, with Second Class (Honours) Lower Division,” Ngwu said.
Reports had stated that Nnaji admitted that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, never issued him a degree certificate.