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The Federal Government has banned recipients of honorary degrees from using the “Dr” title, declaring that such usage now amounts to academic fraud.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, announced the directive at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, saying the decision was approved by the Federal Executive Council to address what he described as widespread abuse of honorary awards.
He said the move is aimed at restoring credibility to Nigeria’s academic system, which has faced criticism over the politicisation and commercialisation of honorary degrees.
“The recent trend we’ve seen with the award of honorary degrees has revealed a growing abuse and politicisation of this academic privilege,” Alausa said.
Under the new policy, honorary degree holders can no longer prefix “Dr” to their names in official, academic, or professional settings. Instead, they are required to clearly indicate the honorary nature of the award using formats such as “Honoris Causa” after their names.
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The government warned that misrepresenting honorary degrees as earned academic qualifications will now attract legal and reputational consequences.
Alausa also said the policy restricts Nigerian universities to awarding only four categories of honorary degrees, including Doctor of Laws, Doctor of Letters, Doctor of Science, and Doctor of Humanities.
He added that institutions without active PhD programmes will no longer be allowed to confer honorary degrees, a move targeted at curbing abuses by newer universities.
The minister noted that all honorary awards must clearly state their status on certificates and official records, while the National Universities Commission has been empowered to enforce compliance.
According to him, the ministry will also publish an annual list of legitimate recipients and monitor convocation ceremonies to ensure institutions follow the new guidelines.
