The Federal Government has banned recipients of honorary degrees from using the title “Dr” in any official, academic, or professional capacity, warning that such usage will now be treated as academic fraud.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, announced the directive on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja while briefing journalists on recent approvals by the Federal Executive Council.
He explained that the new policy establishes a uniform standard for the award and usage of honorary degrees across Nigerian universities, aimed at curbing abuse and restoring the credibility of academic titles.
According to the minister, recipients must no longer prefix “Dr” to their names but instead indicate the honorary nature of the award after their names, using formats such as “Honoris Causa.”
Alausa described the growing trend of awarding honorary degrees as a tool for political patronage and financial gain, noting that the new policy seeks to end the indiscriminate conferment of such honours, especially on serving public officials.
The policy also limits honorary degrees to four categories: Doctor of Laws (LL.D), Doctor of Letters (D.Lit), Doctor of Science (D.Sc), and Doctor of Humanities (D.Arts). In addition, only universities with active PhD programmes will be allowed to confer honorary degrees.
He added that all honorary awards must clearly state their status on certificates and in official references.
The minister said the directive has now received legal backing from the Federal Executive Council, unlike previous efforts such as the 2012 Keffi Declaration, which lacked enforcement power.
The Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission will oversee implementation, including monitoring university convocation ceremonies and publishing annual lists of legitimate recipients to ensure compliance.
