Amid growing concerns over title misuse and public misrepresentation, the federal government has introduced a ban preventing holders of honorary degrees in Nigeria from adopting the “Dr” prefix.
- +Nigeria bans use of ‘Dr’ prefix for honorary degree holders
Tunji Alausa, the minister of education, made this known on Wednesday in Abuja while briefing state house correspondents on two Federal Executive Council approvals that had not been announced at the last cabinet meeting, which was held on April 30.
Tunji Alausa, the minister of education, made this known on Wednesday in Abuja while briefing state house correspondents on two Federal Executive Council approvals that had not been announced at the last cabinet meeting, which was held on April 30.
He emphasised that the federal government has banned recipients of honorary degrees from prefixing “Dr” to their names in official, academic, or professional usage.
“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,” he stated.
Alausa explained that the policy is designed to end what he described as decades of indiscriminate conferral of degrees for political patronage and financial gain and to restore public confidence in the integrity of academic titles.
“Under the new policy, recipients of honorary degrees may no longer put Dr. before their names.
“Instead, they must cite the full honorary designation after their name,” he noted.
The minister cited instances when he said, “For instance, you can use Chief Louis Clark, D.Lit. (Doctor of Literature, Honoris Causa)” or “Mrs Miriam Adamu, LL.D. Hons.”
Besides, he said this format clearly reflects the honorary rather than the earned academic nature of the award. The policy also restricts the types of honorary degrees Nigerian universities can confer to four: Doctor of Laws (LL.D), Doctor of Letters (D.Lit), Doctor of Science (D.Sc), and Doctor of Humanities (D.Arts).
In addition, it bars universities without active PhD-awarding programmes from conferring honorary degrees at all.
Moreover, Alausa said the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission (NUC) will issue a circular to all vice-chancellors, registrars, and governing councils in this regard.
He also reiterated that convocation programmes will be monitored for compliance with the policy, and the government will collaborate with the media to discourage improper attribution of academic titles to honorary recipients.
The ministry will also publish a list of legitimate honorary degree recipients to protect the integrity of earned academic qualifications,” he said.
The minister further highlighted that the NUC has the statutory power to enforce the policy.
The minister was accompanied to the meeting by Suwaiba Ahmad, the Minister of State for Education.
