The Federal Government has introduced a new policy prohibiting recipients of honorary degrees from using the “Dr” title before their names.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, said the move is aimed at curbing misuse of academic titles and restoring credibility to Nigeria’s education system.
The announcement was made on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, following approval by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
According to the minister, the use of “Dr” by honorary degree holders will now be treated as a misrepresentation of academic qualifications and could attract legal and reputational consequences.
He explained that the new policy introduces a uniform standard for how honorary degrees should be awarded and referenced across Nigerian universities.
Rather than using the “Dr” prefix, recipients are now required to attach the full honorary title after their names. For example, “D.Lit. (Honoris Causa)” or “LL.D. Hons” must be clearly stated to indicate that the degree was not earned through academic study.
WHY THE POLICY WAS INTRODUCED
Alausa noted that the reform was necessary due to the increasing abuse of honorary degrees over the years.
He pointed out that such awards have often been used for political patronage, financial influence, and recognition of serving public officials—practices that undermine academic integrity.
The policy is expected to address long-standing concerns about the commercialisation of honorary degrees and rebuild public trust in academic institutions.
NEW RULES FOR UNIVERSITIES
Under the new guidelines, Nigerian universities are limited to awarding only four types of honorary degrees:
• Doctor of Laws (LL.D)
• Doctor of Letters (D.Lit)
• Doctor of Science (D.Sc)
• Doctor of Humanities (D.Arts)
In addition, only universities with active PhD programmes will be allowed to confer honorary degrees.
Institutions without postgraduate research capacity are now barred from issuing such honours, a move aimed at stopping the rise of unqualified institutions granting titles.
The government stated that the National Universities Commission (NUC) will oversee enforcement of the policy.
Universities will receive official directives, while convocation ceremonies will be monitored to ensure compliance.
The Ministry of Education also plans to publish an annual list of verified honorary degree recipients and work with the media to prevent misuse of academic titles.
The new directive marks a major shift in Nigeria’s academic system, targeting years of unchecked practices around honorary degrees. With stricter rules now in place, the government aims to protect the value of earned qualifications and restore discipline in the use of academic titles.
