Nigeria Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun Caught In A Certificate Scandal

As the world awaits the explanation of Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun, over a PREMIUM TIMES exclusive report that she skipped Nigeria’s one-year mandatory national youth service scheme and then forged an exemption certificate, this newspaper has decided to release her entire credentials to the public.


We are releasing the documents exactly as she submitted them to President Muhammadu Buhari (before her nomination), the State Security Service (for credential and security scrutiny) and the Senate (for her confirmation hearing).

The documents include copies of her curriculum vitae, her high school GCE results, her university degree and post graduate diploma, her purported NYSC exemption certificate, Income Tax Clearance Certificate for Tax Year 2015 and certificates of membership of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Of the documents, the only one that has become controversial so far is the NYSC exemption ‘certificate’, which was purportedly issued on September 7, 2009.


This newspaper was able to determine that, based on its enabling law, the NYSC does not issue exemption certificate to anyone who, like the minister, graduates before turning 30. Born on March 9, 1967, Mrs Adeosun graduated July 11, 1989 at 22.

Mrs Adeosun’s ‘certificate’ is dated September 9, 2009, and was purportedly signed by Yusuf Bomoi, a former director-general of the corps.

Officials said Mr. Bomoi stepped down from the NYSC in January 2009, and could not have signed any certificate for the corps eight months after. The retired brigadier general passed on in September 2017.

We investigated Mrs Adeosun’s so-called NYSC certificate for months, determining eventually that it is fake.