Nigeria’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, has resigned from office after Peoples Gazette’s exclusive report exposed that he forged his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and university certificates.

Mr Nnaji’s resignation, formally accepted by President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday night, comes more than a year after The Gazette, in June 2024, reported that the minister’s NYSC certificate was fake and that the State Security Service (SSS) deliberately concealed the finding during his ministerial screening in 2023.

His resignation marks another embarrassing scandal for the Tinubu administration, which has faced mounting criticism over the calibre and integrity of the president and some of his appointees.

The development also underscores growing discontent within Enugu political circles, where Mr Nnaji’s rivals had filed court petitions to compel his resignation following The Gazette’s exposé in 2024.

“His resignation became inevitable the moment the court processes began to move forward,” a senior administration source told The Gazette Tuesday night. “The presidency wanted to avoid further embarrassment, especially since The Gazette report had already made it impossible to ignore.”

In a statement titled “President Tinubu Accepts Resignation of Geoffrey Nnaji as Minister,” presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga confirmed the development late Tuesday, October 7, 2025.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has accepted the resignation of Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, following some allegations against him,” Mr Onanuga said.

Mr Tinubu thanked the embattled minister for his service and wished him well in his future endeavours.

In his resignation letter, Mr Nnaji thanked the president for giving him the opportunity to serve but claimed he had been a target of “blackmail” from political rivals in Enugu State—an apparent reference to ongoing legal action filed by his opponents over his forged credentials.