Abuja, Nigeria – In a major move to restore credibility and uphold academic standards within Nigeria’s higher education system, the Federal Government has approved sweeping new guidelines regulating the award and use of honorary doctorate degrees.
The policy, approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), introduces strict conditions governing who can receive honorary doctorates, how universities confer them, and the circumstances under which such awards can be revoked.
Announcing the development on Wednesday, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, said the new framework was designed to tackle the growing abuse, commercialization, and misuse of honorary academic awards across the country.
According to a statement issued by the Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, Folasade Boriowo, the guidelines were developed by the National Universities Commission (NUC) before receiving FEC approval.
Universities Must Meet New Eligibility Requirements
Under the new regulations, only universities that have successfully graduated their first set of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) students will be permitted to confer honorary doctorate degrees.
In addition, institutions will be limited to awarding a maximum of three honorary doctorates per convocation ceremony, a measure aimed at curbing indiscriminate conferment of the honours.
Honorary Awardees Can No Longer Use ‘Dr’
One of the most significant provisions of the policy is the restriction on the use of academic titles by honorary degree recipients.
The government has directed that all honorary doctorate certificates must clearly bear the designation “Honoris Causa”, while recipients are prohibited from adopting the title “Dr.” solely on the basis of receiving an honorary doctorate.
NUC Establishes Monitoring Unit
To ensure strict compliance, the government has established robust oversight mechanisms, including a Special Fraud Unit within the NUC tasked with monitoring adherence to the new guidelines.
Universities will also be required to:
- Publicly disclose the names of honorary doctorate recipients;
- Conduct orientation programmes for awardees;
- Establish procedures for revoking honorary degrees when necessary.
Violators Risk Sanctions
The Federal Government warned that institutions found violating the regulations could face severe penalties, including the suspension of accreditation activities and the dissolution of governing councils.
According to the Ministry, the measures are part of broader efforts to strengthen transparency, preserve academic integrity, and protect the reputation of Nigerian universities.
Move Targets Growing Abuse of Honorary Awards
The approval follows months of concern over the increasing misuse of honorary doctorate awards by individuals, institutions, and organisations lacking the legal authority to confer such honours.
Earlier this year, the NUC unveiled the guidelines as part of ongoing reforms aimed at safeguarding academic standards and restoring public confidence in honorary degrees.
Education stakeholders have welcomed the move, describing it as a decisive step toward ensuring that honorary doctorates remain symbols of exceptional achievement and public service rather than tools for prestige or commercial gain.
