By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Correspondent
USE OF the “Dr” title by honorary degree recipients has been prohibited in official, academic, and professional settings following federal approval of a new policy framework.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that the decision, approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), introduces regulations to guide the award and use of honorary degrees by tertiary institutions, with sanctions for defaulters.
Minister of Education Tunji Alausa announced the move on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja while briefing State House correspondents after the council meeting.
He said, “The recent trend we’ve seen with the award of honorary degrees has revealed a growing abuse and politicisation of this academic privilege.”
Alausa stated that the policy became necessary due to concerns over increasing misuse and politicisation of honorary doctorates. He said the reform aims to safeguard academic integrity, restore public confidence in university awards, and address the growing abuse and commercialisation of honorary degrees.
He said the government had observed a “troubling trend” in which some universities confer honorary doctorates indiscriminately, including on serving public officials, while some recipients adopt the title “Doctor” in official and public use.
“Recipients are expected to acknowledge the degree as an award or recognition and not as a formal academic qualification,” he said.
“We’ve seen awards being used for political patronage, for financial gain, as well as the conferral of awards on serving public officials, which, as part of the ethics of honorary degree awards, should not happen.”
The minister added that misrepresentation of honorary degrees as academic credentials would be treated as academic fraud, attracting legal and reputational consequences.
He said only universities with established PhD awarding curricula would be permitted to confer honorary degrees, describing the practice of newer institutions without doctoral programmes doing so as a “misnomer”.
Alausa said the policy strengthens the Keffi Declaration developed by the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities to curb abuse in the award of honorary degrees.
On enforcement, he said the Federal Ministry of Education, through the National Universities Commission, would issue guidelines, monitor convocation ceremonies, and publish an annual list of legitimate honorary degree recipients.
“We will collaborate with the media to discourage the improper attribution of academic titles to people who were awarded honorary degrees,” he said.
Responding to concerns about university autonomy, he said institutions must operate within the law.
“Autonomy does not equate to the right to break the law in this country,” the minister added.
Minister of State for Education Suwaiba Ahmad said the Keffi Declaration was originally developed by vice chancellors as a guide but lacked legal backing.
She said the new federal approval now gives the declaration “authoritative backing” and allows it to be properly implemented.
The council also approved the establishment of a national research and innovation development fund to strengthen coordination across Nigeria’s research ecosystem and align investments with national development priorities.
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