The Federal Government on Wednesday banned recipients of honorary degrees from prefixing “Dr” to their names in official, academic, or professional usage.
It declared that the use of the title by such recipients constitutes a misrepresentation of academic credentials, which will henceforth be treated as academic fraud, with attendant legal and reputational consequences.
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, while briefing State House correspondents on two Federal Executive Council approvals that had not been announced at the last cabinet meeting, which held on April 30.
Alausa, who was accompanied by the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmed, expressed concern over what he called the growing proliferation and misuse of honorary degrees by some tertiary institutions.
He noted that attempts to regulate the practice had existed since 2012, when university administrators raised concerns, but enforcement had remained weak due to lack of legal backing.
According to him, the new framework introduces strict eligibility requirements for universities seeking to award honorary degrees.
“Any university that is not offering PhDs cannot award honorary doctorate degrees. Doing so will amount to a violation of the law, and there will be consequences, including sanctions against the vice chancellor,” he said.
The minister further disclosed that all universities must now obtain clearance from the National Universities Commission (NUC) before conferring honorary degrees on any individual.
Under the new arrangement, the NUC will vet all proposed recipients to ensure that only deserving individuals are honoured, effectively ending what the government described as indiscriminate awards.
Alausa also warned that individuals who falsely claim or parade unverified honorary degrees risk prosecution, adding that government agencies would verify such claims directly with awarding institutions.
“If any individual claims an honorary degree that was not duly awarded, such a person can be prosecuted. We are determined to restore integrity to the system,” he said.
He explained that the reforms, which took effect from April 20 following FEC approval, are aimed at restoring credibility to Nigeria’s higher education system and curbing the misuse of academic titles.
On the use of academic titles, the minister said while informal usage in social settings may be difficult to regulate, the government would strictly enforce compliance in official communications and formal engagements.
The Federal Government reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening standards in the education sector, insisting that the new measures mark a decisive step toward accountability and discipline in the conferment and use of honorary degrees.
The Minister also disclosed that the Council approved a second memo establishing a National Research and Innovation Development Fund.
He explained that the fund is designed to raise $500 million annually to promote collaboration among research agencies, academia, and industry
