JUST IN: FG bans honorary degree holders from using of “Dr” title
The Federal Government has banned recipients of honorary degrees from using the “Dr” prefix before their names in official, academic, or professional settings, declaring such usage a misrepresentation of academic
- ...declares misuse academic fraud
The Federal Government has banned recipients of honorary degrees from using the “Dr” prefix before their names in official, academic, or professional settings, declaring such usage a misrepresentation of academic qualifications.
It also warned that anyone found to be using honorary degrees as earned academic titles will henceforth be treated as engaging in academic fraud, with legal and reputational consequences attached.
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja while briefing State House correspondents on two Federal Executive Council (FEC) approvals not previously announced at the April 30 cabinet meeting.
Alausa, who spoke alongside the Minister of State for Education, Prof Suwaiba Ahmad, said the FEC approved a new uniform policy governing the award and use of honorary degrees across Nigerian universities.
According to him, the policy aims to curb the rising abuse of honorary titles, which he said have increasingly been used for political patronage and financial inducement, rather than academic recognition.
“The recent trend we’ve seen with the award of honorary degrees has revealed a growing abuse and politicisation of this academic privilege.
“We’ve seen awards being used for political patronage, for financial gain, as well as the conferral of awards on serving public officials, which, as part of the ethics of honorary degree awards, should not happen,” Alausa said.
Under the new regulation, recipients of honorary degrees are prohibited from placing “Dr” before their names. Instead, they must indicate the honorary nature of the award after their names.
Giving examples, the minister explained: “For instance, you can use Chief Louis Clark, D.Lit. (Doctor of Literature, Honoris Causa)” or “Mrs Miriam Adamu, LL.D. Hons.”
He said the format was designed to clearly distinguish honorary awards from earned academic qualifications.
“Recipients shall not prefix doctor to their names in official, academic or professional usage,” he said, adding, “Misrepresentation of honorary degrees as earned academic credentials shall be considered academic fraud and subject to legal and reputational consequences.”
The policy further limits Nigerian universities to awarding only four categories of honorary degrees: Doctor of Laws (LL.D), Doctor of Letters (D.Lit), Doctor of Science (D.Sc), and Doctor of Humanities (D.Arts).
It also prohibits institutions without active PhD programmes from awarding honorary degrees.
Alausa said the restriction targets the growing trend of newly established universities conferring honorary doctorates despite lacking postgraduate research capacity.
He added that all honorary degrees must clearly state “honorary” or “Honoris Causa” on certificates and official references.
Concerns over the commercialisation and politicisation of honorary degrees in Nigeria have persisted for years, with allegations that some universities award them to wealthy individuals and political figures in exchange for donations.
In 2012, the Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities introduced a guideline known as the Keffi Declaration to regulate the practice. However, Alausa said it lacked enforcement powers.
“The association doesn’t have any legal backing to enforce anything.
“That is why we brought this to the Federal Executive Council, which now gives it legal and executive backing,” he said.
The minister added that the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission (NUC) will issue a formal circular to vice-chancellors, registrars, and governing councils.
He said convocation ceremonies will be monitored for compliance, while the government will also work with the media to discourage the improper use of academic titles for honorary recipients.
The ministry, he added, will publish an annual list of legitimate honorary degree recipients to safeguard the integrity of academic qualifications.
He noted that the NUC has statutory authority to enforce the new policy.
