By Ngozi Nwankwo
National Universities Commission,NUC, has expressed deep concern over the rising misuse of honorary doctorate degrees in Nigerian universities, saying honorary doctorate degrees are meant to recognise outstanding service or achievements of an individual.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Professor Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, warned that misuse of doctorate award threatens the credibility of the country’s higher education system.
Ribadu said these awards have increasingly been misused by recipients,saying that more troubling is the rise of unaccredited and illegal institutions (both local and foreign) that operate as honorary doctorate degree mills in Nigeria.
He explained that these illegal institutions offer these degrees without merit, without oversight, and without legitimacy.
“In response to this disturbing trend, an investigation was carried out by the National Universities Commission,NUC, to examine how these degrees are awarded and used across Nigeria.
“The findings are deeply concerning. This is especially so because many institutions do not comply with the Keffi Declaration of 2012. This is the policy agreed upon by Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian universities to regulate the award of honorary doctorate degrees.
“It prohibits the award of honorary degrees to serving public officials and cautions recipients against using the title “Dr” without proper disclosure. This is not just a matter of ethics; it is a matter of law.
“Using the title “Dr” based on an honorary degree without clarification amounts to false representation which is punishable under various fraud-related laws in Nigeria. Beyond the legal implications, this trend threatens the integrity of our universities and the value of genuine academic qualifications. It undermines the hard work of scholars and diminishes public trust in our education system,” he said.
Speaking further, the Executive Secretary said, “The report of the investigation identifies 32 institutions operating as honorary doctorate degree mills, including 10 unaccredited foreign universities, 4 unlicensed local universities, 15 professional bodies with no degree-awarding powers, and 3 other non-degree-awarding institutions.
“It should be noted that this figure may not be exhaustive. It is even more alarming that some of these institutions go as far as awarding fake professorships. Let us be clear; awarding honorary degrees is a legal responsibility of Nigerian universities and The Education (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions) Act, Chapter E2, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, L. F. N. 2004, empowers the National Universities Commission to regulate the award and use of honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria.
“Hence, the Commission is determined to guide the proper use of honorary degrees, regulate their awards, as well as protect the sanctity of our university educational system. For the avoidance of doubt, only approved universities (either public or private) are eligible to award honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria.”
Reaffirming the Commission’s regulatory authority under the Education (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions) Act, Ribadu clarified that only duly approved public and private universities are permitted to award honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria.
Recipients, he said, may append titles such as Doctor of Literature (Honoris Causa) or D.Litt (h.c.) after their names, but must not prefix their names with “Dr,” a designation reserved for PhD holders and qualified medical practitioners.
He further emphasised that honorary degree holders are not allowed to use such titles to teach, supervise research, or assume academic or professional responsibilities within institutions.
To address the growing abuse, the NUC has developed a national guideline for awarding and using honorary doctorate degrees, which will soon be made public.
