Abuja – The National Universities Commission (NUC) has prohibited universities across Nigeria from awarding honorary doctorate degrees to serving public officials.
The move comes as part of a wider crackdown on the misuse of honorary degrees and the operations of illegal institutions granting fake qualifications.
Professor Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, Executive Secretary of the NUC, made the announcement on Friday while receiving a report from a committee investigating the awarding and public use of honorary doctorates in Nigeria.
“These degrees are intended to recognise outstanding service or achievements. Unfortunately, they have increasingly been misused,” Ribadu said.
He explained that the decision followed alarming findings from a nationwide investigation, revealing violations of the 2012 Keffi Declaration, which regulates the award of honorary degrees.
The Commission identified 32 institutions operating as degree mills, including unaccredited foreign universities, unlicensed local universities, and professional bodies without degree-awarding powers. Some even grant fake professorships, Ribadu noted.
He stressed that only approved public or private universities are authorised to award honorary doctorates. Recipients must use the proper designation, such as “Doctor of Literature (Honoris Causa),” rather than adopting the title “Dr,” which is reserved for earned doctorates and medical professionals.
“Misusing honorary titles not only undermines the integrity of our universities but also diminishes public trust in genuine academic qualifications,” Ribadu warned.
The NUC also vowed to intensify monitoring of illegal universities and institutions offering unearned degrees, signalling a stricter regulatory approach in the coming months.
