The Federal Government of Nigeria has prohibited recipients of honorary degrees from using the title “Dr” before their names in any official, academic, or professional context, warning that such usage amounts to a false representation of academic qualifications.
The directive was announced on Wednesday by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, during a briefing with State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He disclosed that the decision forms part of approvals granted by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at its meeting of April 30.
Alausa, who addressed the media alongside the Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Ahmad, explained that the new policy establishes uniform standards for the award and usage of honorary degrees by Nigerian universities.
According to him, the reform is aimed at curbing long-standing abuses associated with the indiscriminate conferment of honorary degrees, often driven by political patronage and financial considerations, while restoring credibility to academic titles.
He said, “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.”
Under the new guidelines, honorary degree recipients are no longer permitted to prefix “Dr” to their names. Instead, they are required to indicate the honorary nature of the award after their names using the appropriate designation.
Providing clarification, the minister said, “For instance, you can use Chief Louis Clark, D.Lit. (Doctor of Literature, Honoris Causa)” or “Mrs Miriam Adamu, LL.D. Hons.”
Alausa noted that this format ensures a clear distinction between honorary and earned academic qualifications.
“Recipients shall not prefix doctor to their names in official, academic or professional usage,” the minister 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 the categories of honorary degrees that Nigerian universities may confer to four: Doctor of Laws (LL.D), Doctor of Letters (D.Lit), Doctor of Science (D.Sc), and Doctor of Humanities (D.Arts).
It also bars institutions without active PhD-awarding programmes from granting honorary degrees, a move targeted at addressing the growing trend among relatively new universities lacking postgraduate research capacity.
In addition, all honorary awards must explicitly include the words “honorary” or “Honoris Causa” on certificates and in all official references.
Alausa explained that concerns over the commercialisation and politicisation of honorary degrees have persisted for more than a decade, with allegations that such honours are often granted to wealthy individuals and public office holders in exchange for financial or political benefits rather than merit.
He recalled that efforts by the Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities to regulate the practice through the 2012 Keffi Declaration failed due to lack of legal backing.
He said, “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.”
To ensure compliance, the minister said the Federal Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the National Universities Commission, will issue directives to vice-chancellors, registrars, and governing councils nationwide.
He added that convocation ceremonies will be monitored, while the government will also work with the media to discourage improper use of academic titles.