The Federal Government has introduced sweeping reforms to regulate the award and use of honorary degrees, banning recipients from adopting the title “Dr” in any formal capacity.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed the decision on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja while briefing journalists on fresh approvals by the Executive Council of the Federation.
Under the new directive, honorary doctorate holders are no longer permitted to prefix “Dr” to their names. Instead, they must reflect the honorary nature of the award by listing it after their names, clearly indicating that it is not an earned academic qualification.
The government warned that presenting such honours as earned degrees will now be treated as academic fraud, with possible legal and reputational consequences.
The policy forms part of a broader effort to sanitise Nigeria’s higher education system, following years of criticism over the commercialisation and politicisation of honorary degrees.
According to the minister, the reforms are designed to restore credibility to academic titles and curb their use for patronage or financial advantage.
In addition, the government has streamlined the categories of honorary degrees Nigerian universities can confer to four: Doctor of Laws (LL.D), Doctor of Letters (D.Lit), Doctor of Science (D.Sc), and Doctor of Humanities (D.Arts). Institutions that do not operate active PhD programmes are now prohibited from awarding honorary doctorates.
The directive also mandates that all such awards must explicitly carry the designation “honorary” or “Honoris Causa” on certificates and in all official references.
Alausa explained that the policy effectively gives legal backing to the 2012 Keffi Declaration by vice chancellors, which had set ethical standards for awarding honorary degrees but lacked enforcement authority.
To drive compliance, the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission (NUC) will issue guidelines to universities and monitor convocation ceremonies.
The government will also collaborate with the media to discourage misuse of academic titles and publish an annual list of verified honorary degree recipients.
Officials say the move is aimed at protecting the integrity of Nigeria’s academic system and ensuring that honorary distinctions are not misrepresented as earned qualifications.
(Editor: Anoyoyo Ogiagboviogie)
