The Federal Government of Nigeria has taken decisive action against the rampant abuse of honorary doctorate degrees, implementing an immediate ban on all such awards to serving public officials.
NUC Announces Complete Ban
The National Universities Commission (NUC) announced the sweeping prohibition on Friday, November 21, following the submission of an investigative report detailing widespread misconduct in the award of honorary degrees. Professor Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, the NUC Executive Secretary, received the damning report in Abuja and declared that the commission had no alternative but to implement strict measures to protect the integrity of Nigeria's university system.
Professor Ribadu emphasized that honorary degrees are intended to recognize genuine distinction and outstanding service. However, he revealed that investigators found these honors were being increasingly misused, damaging public trust in legitimate academic qualifications.
Violation of Keffi Declaration Exposed
The investigation uncovered that numerous institutions had blatantly ignored the Keffi Declaration of 2012, a significant agreement signed by vice-chancellors that explicitly prohibits universities from awarding honorary doctorates to serving public officials. The declaration also directs recipients to avoid presenting themselves as holders of earned doctorates.
Ribadu warned that the deliberate misuse of academic titles could constitute false representation under Nigerian law. He noted that the inappropriate adoption of the "Dr" prefix by honorary degree recipients had created significant confusion and eroded public confidence in properly earned academic qualifications.
32 Illegal Bodies Identified
The investigative committee identified 32 organizations actively engaged in producing unregulated honorary degrees across Nigeria. These included:
- 10 unaccredited foreign universities
- 4 unlicensed local institutions
- 15 professional bodies without degree-awarding powers
- 3 other organizations lacking any mandate to confer academic honors
Some of these entities were also found to be issuing fake professorships, further complicating the landscape of academic fraud.
Ribadu clarified that only approved public or private universities have the legal authority to confer honorary degrees in Nigeria. He reiterated that the NUC is empowered by law to regulate both the award and use of honorary doctorate degrees throughout the country.
The NUC executive secretary also provided guidance on proper terminology, stating that recipients should use correct descriptions such as "Doctor of Literature Honoris Causa" rather than adopting the "Dr" prefix, which is reserved for earned doctorates and medical practitioners.
The new measures will be strictly enforced to protect academic standards and maintain the integrity of Nigeria's higher education system, marking a significant step toward cleaning up the sector.
