In the annals of Nigerian governance, few scandals capture the rot in public institutions quite like the downfall of Uche Nnaji, the recently resigned Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology.
Appointed in 2023 to drive Nigeria’s technological advancement, Nnaji stood as a symbol of the nation’s digital ambitions. Yet, two years later, he was unmasked as a fraud. A Premium Times investigation revealed that his supposed degree from the University of Nigeria and his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate were both forged.
His resignation on October 7, 2025, without remorse or defence, was more than an admission of guilt — it was a mirror reflecting the failures of Nigeria’s vetting and oversight institutions.
A Failure of Institutions
How did a man with forged documents—items one could easily procure from Oluwole, Lagos’s infamous forgery hub—slip through the Department of State Services (DSS) and Senate screening?
This was no mere bureaucratic oversight. It was a collapse of accountability.
The DSS, designed to safeguard the Republic from internal threats, has become preoccupied with regime protection and the harassment of dissenters. Meanwhile, the Senate’s so-called “screening sessions” have degenerated into perfunctory performances where nominees “bow and go” after a few polite exchanges.
Where is the cross-verification of credentials with issuing institutions? Where are the forensic audits, the background checks, the diligence that democracy demands?
A Culture of Laxity and Complicity
In Nigeria, screening has become an absurd ritual — a comedy of errors where loyalty trumps merit. The Senate’s culture of “bow and go” has turned public service into a revolving door for political opportunists, not competent technocrats.
Contrast this with the United Kingdom, where ministerial nominees undergo exhaustive vetting by the Propriety and Ethics Team, including financial, ethical, and credential checks.
In the United States, the Senate confirmation hearings are even more rigorous. Background investigations by the FBI, public scrutiny, and televised questioning have derailed nominees for far lesser infractions.
In 2009, former senator Tom Daschle, Barack Obama’s nominee for Health Secretary, withdrew over unpaid taxes. Under Donald Trump, Matt Gaetz faced similar pressure and backed out amid controversy.
In those countries, power is not a right — it is earned through transparency or lost through accountability. In Nigeria, however, power is simply awarded, even to the undeserving.
History Repeats Itself
Nnaji’s scandal is not an isolated case; it is a recurring pattern.
In 1999, Salisu Buhari, then Speaker of the House of Representatives, resigned in disgrace after it was revealed that he forged a University of Toronto certificate and falsified his age.
In 2018, Kemi Adeosun, the Minister of Finance, was forced out for submitting a forged NYSC exemption certificate.
Each scandal sparks outrage, yet the system remains uncorrected. Vetting remains superficial, punishment inconsistent, and lessons unlearned.
A Rot That Stifles Innovation
The consequences go beyond embarrassment. Under Nnaji’s watch, Nigeria’s technology sector stagnated. The country imported drones while homegrown innovators struggled to access funding. The same government that preaches innovation was led, ironically, by a man who couldn’t innovate his own credentials.
When leadership itself is fraudulent, innovation dies. Investors lose confidence, youth lose faith, and the nation’s global reputation erodes further.
Countries like Singapore and Rwanda — once on similar developmental footing — have soared precisely because competence, not cronyism, drives leadership.
Accountability Must Follow
Nnaji’s resignation should not be the end of the story. It must be the beginning of prosecution. Forgery is a criminal act under the Criminal Code Act, carrying a penalty of up to 14 years in prison. Anything less would be a travesty of justice.
Rights groups and civil society organisations have long criticised the DSS’s selective zeal — quick to arrest journalists, but conveniently blind to high-level deceit. This pattern of double standards corrodes public trust and entrenches cynicism among young Nigerians.
Time to Reform a Rotten System
The lesson from Nnaji’s fall is clear: Nigeria’s vetting process is broken, and without reform, the cycle will continue. The DSS must return to its constitutional mandate. The Senate must replace political patronage with genuine scrutiny.
Above all, Nigerians must demand that integrity, not loyalty, becomes the standard for public office.
The youth are watching. Their despair is growing. But it is not too late to change course — to prove that in Nigeria, truth can still triumph over forgery.
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