Sunday Ehigiator An investigative panel set up by the federal government has confirmed that former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, forged a degree certificate purportedly obtained from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). According to the report, the panel established that the certificate presented by Nnaji as proof of graduation from the university “was not issued by the institution and could not be verified in its official records.” The panel, constituted by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, was tasked with investigating discrepancies surrounding the former minister’s academic credentials following sustained public scrutiny and media reports questioning their authenticity. Findings by the panel reportedly confirmed that “although Nnaji gained admission into UNN in the 1981/82 academic session to study Biological Sciences, available records showed that he did not graduate from the institution.” According to the report, “the former minister submitted a certificate dated July 1985 during his ministerial nomination process.” The certificate was reportedly included among the credentials he presented to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu prior to his appointment and to the Senate during his confirmation screening. However, investigators found that the document did not originate from the university, prompting the panel to question how the former minister obtained the purported certificate. The panel’s findings corroborated an earlier investigation which had revealed that while Nnaji was admitted to the university, he did not complete the programme after failing a required course. The panel report also revealed that the panel relied on official academic records obtained from UNN during the course of its investigation to establish that the certificate submitted by the former minister was not issued by the institution. The controversy surrounding Nnaji’s academic qualifications had trailed him since his nomination as minister in 2023, sparking public debate and calls for verification of credentials submitted by political appointees. The report further noted that the federal government panel specifically queried the circumstances under which the certificate was produced and presented as evidence of graduation, given that university records did not support such a claim.