He was born in Enugu State, Nigeria and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physics at St John's University, New York USA.
He also obtained a Post Doctorate Certificate in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, (MIT).
[3] In 1993, Nnaji took a leave of absence from the University and came back to Nigeria to serve as Federal Minister of Science and Technology.
[11][12][13][14] Prior to accepting to serve his nation as Minister of Power, Prof Nnaji returned from the USA under Pres.
[15][16] However, for political reasons, the government reneged on the terms of the Agreement by failing to offer the ring-fence to the project developers during the power sector privatization of state-run companies in an attempt to end Nigeria's chronic power shortages.When Prof. Bart Nnaji resigned his position in 2012, the Economist magazine in its article titled "A Bright Spark is Extinguished" stated that Mr Nnaji's supporters say that opponents of privatisation belatedly and unfairly engineered his departure.