Public affairs and security experts have urged the Nigerian media and security agencies to intensify scrutiny of academic and professional certificates presented by public officeholders to curb the rising trend of forgery in the country.

Speaking in Enugu on Wednesday, the Chairman of the Guild of Public Affairs Analysts of Nigeria (GPAAN), Enugu State chapter, Dr. Ambrose Igboke, said the media must live up to its watchdog role by investigating the authenticity of certificates being paraded by politicians and government appointees.

According to him, thorough journalistic investigation remains one of the most effective ways to expose fake credentials among public figures.

“The media has done it before — from the Salisu Buhari saga to the case of former Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun. These exposures helped to clean up the system,” Igboke stated.

Commenting on the alleged forgery scandal involving the immediate past Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Mr. Uche Nnaji, Igboke said leaders must learn to maintain integrity and avoid acts that could bring disrepute to public service.

“Our leaders don’t learn. They should do legitimate things to avoid this kind of embarrassment. Politicians shouldn’t arm their opponents with weapons to fight them. When exposed, they shouldn’t hide under claims of political witch-hunt,” he added.

He further advised Nnaji to clear his name in court and allow due process to take its course.

Also speaking, a retired security expert and former Assistant Commandant General of the NSCDC, Edwin Ugwuja, said there should be a legal framework compelling security agencies to routinely verify the certificates of public officials and citizens.

“It’s not rocket science,” Ugwuja said. “The law should make it mandatory for security agencies to access databases of certificate-issuing institutions like universities and polytechnics. That’s the most proactive way to curb these abuses.”

He warned against media trials but maintained that enforcing certificate verification is a national duty.

“Nigerians are being embarrassed abroad because of the misconduct of a few. We must act decisively to restore our national image,” Ugwuja stressed.

Both experts emphasized that a united front between the media, security agencies, and educational institutions is essential to rid the nation of certificate fraud and restore credibility to Nigeria’s leadership space.