Liborous Oshoma said. “Nnaji: If You Graduated in July 1985, How Come You Started Your NYSC in April 1985?

Legal analyst and public affairs commentator, Liborous Oshoma, has raised serious questions about the academic records of the recently resigned Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Geoffrey Nnaji. The minister stepped down after reports surfaced suggesting inconsistencies in his university and NYSC records.

Speaking during an interview with AIT News, Oshoma pointed out that there are several gaps in Nnaji’s educational timeline that don’t make sense. According to him, the former minister claimed he graduated from university in July 1985, yet also said he began his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in April 1985—three months before he was supposed to have graduated.

Oshoma questioned how it was possible for anyone to start NYSC before officially completing their university program, since it is the universities that send graduates’ names to the NYSC for mobilization.

He also cited a report from Premium Times, which showed that as of June 1985, Nnaji had written to his university asking to retake a failed course. Records allegedly confirmed that he actually sat for the resit in September 1985 and failed again. The university later told him he could retake the exam in June 1986, after paying a fee of ₦4.

Oshoma noted that Nnaji has not shown any evidence that he ever completed the resit or officially graduated afterward. He said these inconsistencies raise serious doubts about the authenticity of the minister’s certificates and his NYSC participation.

In his words, “If you graduated in July, how come you started your NYSC in April?”