The National Universities Commission (NUC) on Thursday unveiled fresh guidelines to regulate the award and use of honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria.
It cited growing cases of misuse and indiscriminate conferment across the country’s university system.
According to the commission on X handle, the guidelines are issued under the Education (national minimum standards and establishment of institutions) Act, CAP E3, laws of the federation ofNigeria, 2004, to “ensure the orderly development of university education in Nigeria.”
Prof. Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, executive secretary of the NUC said the framework was developed with due regard to established academic traditions in Nigeria, including the resolutions of the Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities as articulated in the Keffi Declaration of 2012, and inputs submitted by universities in December 2025.
He added that the guidelines are intended to provide informed policy direction, strengthen institutional practices, and promote a more transparent and accountable system for the award and use of honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria.
The Commission warned that honorary degrees should not be regarded as equivalent to earned academic doctorates.
Recipients are prohibited from using the title “Dr” and cannot leverage the award to practice as scholars, supervise research, or oversee administrative units.
The guidelines specify that only approved universities that have graduated their first set of PhD students are eligible to confer honorary doctorates.
The awards must be conferred without fees, limited to a maximum of three recipients per convocation, and must include the nomenclature “Honoris Causa,” such as Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) or D.Sc. (h.c.).
Prof. Ribadu said, “the Commission has observed, with grave concern, the increasing incidence of indiscriminate conferment and misuse of honorary doctorate degrees within the Nigerian University System. Institutions and individuals found in breach of these regulations will face appropriate sanctions.
“The guidelines also mandate full transparency, requiring universities to publish the names of recipients on their official websites and to provide written and verbal orientation to awardees on proper use of the honorary degree.
“A formal revocation process is included for recipients involved in fraud or unethical conduct.”
NUC’s intervention follows an investigation into 61 institutions, which found 32 entities operating as honorary degree mills, including unaccredited foreign universities, unlicensed local universities, and professional bodies without degree-awarding powers.
Prof. Ribadu added, “the framework preserves academic integrity and safeguards the credibility and global reputation of the Nigerian University System.
“Honorary awards should celebrate distinguished merit and public service, not undermine the value of earned academic qualifications.”