Curbing the abuse of honorary degrees

Following the flagrant abuse of honorary doctorate degrees by holders prefixing “Dr” to their names in official, academic or professional usage, the federal government has banned the unwholesome practice. The government also warned 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, Dr. Tunji Alausa, who stated this in Abuja recently, announced that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a uniform policy for the award and use of honorary degrees by Nigerian universities. According to the minister, the new policy will end decades of indiscriminate conferral of degrees for political patronage and financial gain as well as restore public confidence in the integrity of academic titles. With the new policy, recipients of honorary degrees will no longer put “Dr” before their names. Alternatively, they must cite the full honorary designation after their name. “For instance, you can use Chief Louis Clark, D.Lit. (Doctor of Literature, Honoris Causa)” or “Mrs Miriam Adamu, LLD. Hons.” The minister explained that this format clearly reflects the honorary rather than earned academic nature of the award.

Under the new policy, Nigerian universities have been restricted to confer only four types of honorary degrees. They are Doctor of Laws (LL.D), Doctor of Letters (D.Lit), Doctor of Science (D.Sc), and Doctor of Humanities (D. Arts). The policy also bars universities without active PhD-awarding programmes from conferring honorary degrees at all.

The award of honorary degrees is a legitimate practice across the world, and many distinguished persons in society have benefited from such gesture. However, in Nigeria, institutions and individuals seem to have commercialised the practice where the highest bidder earns it on a platter. It is more worrisome because some people who did not even earn a first university degree but have attained financial or political prominence have become recipients of the award. Such people flagrantly parade themselves as PhD holders by adding “Dr” before their names, thus misleading the public and conferring on themselves an academic identity they do not merit or deserve.

Dr. Alausa also reiterated that all honorary degrees must carry the words “honorary” or “Honorary Causa” on the award certificate and in all references. Also, institutions must ensure that they compile and submit the names of honorary degree recipients to the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) for proper vetting and approval. At the end of every academic calendar, the Federal Ministry of Education will publish the names of genuine and qualified names of the recipients for public records. Unlike before, when the policy lacked legal backing and could not be enforced, the NUC, in the current dispensation, has the statutory powers to enforce it and ensure sanity in the educational sector.

This is not the first time the government has banned the abuse of honorary degrees. In 2012, the Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities attempted to challenge the practice but did not succeed due to lack of any legal justification. But now that it has legal backing, we hope the practice will be a thing of the past.

In February this year, the NUC equally raised the alarm over the growing abuse of honorary doctorate degrees within Nigerian university system and warned that institutions found culpable will be sanctioned. The NUC also warned individuals against the misuse of honorary degrees, stressing that such practice undermines academic standards and public trust in the universities,

While the ban is commendable, the government must ensure that those who abuse the use of honorary degrees are adequately sanctioned. Considering our weak law enforcement in this part of the world, we think that moral suasion and total overhaul of our value systems will go a long way in curbing the menace.

At the same time, let NUC and the federal government ensure that universities do not abuse the conferment of honorary degrees. They must ensure that only suitably qualified universities are allowed to do so. The honorary degrees must be conferred on those who eminently deserve them. Giving such degrees to undeserved recipients will erode the value and integrity of such degrees.

We enjoin Nigerians to stop hankering after honorary degrees or seeking for prestige and honours. The penchant for honorary degrees by some Nigerians has led to the bastardisation of honorary degrees and indiscriminate abuse of the prefix “Dr.” We support the policy that henceforth, only academically earned doctorates and medical doctors can use the prefix “Dr” to their names.

The federal government must ensure that erring individuals are punished. Also, institutions that fail to comply with the new directive should be sanctioned. The policy must not be allowed to fail due to political reasons. The abuse of honorary degrees must be checked by the government to restore decency and integrity to the award. Those who have honorary doctorate should not use prefix “Dr.” Such people should not be addressed as “Dr” also.