By Omoyeni Ojeifo
As part of measures to tighten regulation around academic titles and restore credibility to honorary awards in Nigeria’s higher education system, the Federal Government has banned recipients of honorary degrees from prefixing “Dr” before their names in official, academic, or professional usage.
It also ruled that any attempt to present honorary degrees as earned academic qualifications will henceforth be treated as academic fraud, attracting legal and reputational consequences.
The policy, approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), is aimed at addressing worrying concerns over the indiscriminate award and commercialisation of honorary degrees by some Nigerian universities.
Dr. Tunji Alausa, the Minister of Education, disclosed the decision on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, while briefing State House correspondents on FEC approvals not announced at the last cabinet meeting held on April 30.
Accompanied by the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, Alausa said the reforms were necessary to stop the growing abuse of honorary degrees for political patronage, financial inducement, and prestige.
He noted the increasing misuse of honorary awards, including their conferral on serving public officials in ways that undermine academic ethics.
“We have 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,” Persecondnews correspondent who covered the event quotes Alausa as saying.
Under the new directive, recipients of honorary degrees are prohibited from using the “Dr” prefix and must instead indicate the honorary nature of the award after their names.
Alausa stressed that misrepresentation from henceforth, would be treated as academic fraud.
“Misrepresentation of honorary degrees as earned academic credentials shall be considered academic fraud and subject to legal and reputational consequences.” Recipients shall not prefix doctor to their names in official, academic or professional usage,” he emphasized,”
The policy also restricts honorary doctorates to four categories: Doctor of Laws (LL.D), Doctor of Letters (D.Lit), Doctor of Science (D.Sc), and Doctor of Humanities (D.Arts), in order to standardise practice across universities.
He added that all honorary degrees must clearly indicate “honorary” or “Honoris Causa” on certificates and official references.
The National Universities Commission (NUC) will enforce compliance, with circulars to be issued to all vice chancellors, registrars, and governing councils, while convocation ceremonies will be monitored.
Legitimate honorary degree recipients will have their names published annually to safeguard the integrity of earned academic qualifications, the ministry added.
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