FG Bans Honorary Degree Holders from Using “Dr” Title

Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa

FG Bans Honorary Degree Holders from Using “Dr” Title

The Federal Government has formally banned recipients of honorary degrees from using the “Dr” title in Nigeria, declaring such usage a misrepresentation of academic qualifications and warning of legal consequences for violators.

Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, announced the directive on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, while briefing State House correspondents on decisions approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC). He spoke alongside Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Ahmad.

According to Alausa, the new policy—approved by FEC—establishes a uniform framework regulating the award and use of honorary degrees across Nigerian universities, as part of efforts to restore credibility and integrity to the country’s academic system.

He stated unequivocally that honorary degree recipients must not prefix “Dr” to their names in official, academic, or professional settings.

“Recipients shall not prefix doctor to their names in official usage. Misrepresentation of honorary degrees as earned academic credentials shall be considered academic fraud and subject to legal and reputational consequences,” he said.

The directive comes amid rising concern over the misuse of honorary degrees in Nigeria, where such titles have increasingly been adopted for social status, political advantage, and business influence.

Alausa noted that the trend has led to widespread abuse, with honorary awards allegedly being used for political patronage and, in some cases, financial inducement.

“The recent trend we’ve seen with the award of honorary degrees has revealed a growing abuse and politicisation of this academic privilege,” he said.

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“We’ve seen awards being used for political patronage, for financial gain, as well as the conferral of awards on serving public officials, which, as part of the ethics of honorary degree awards, should not happen.”

The new regulation introduces strict guidelines on how honorary degrees should be presented. Instead of using the “Dr” prefix, recipients are required to indicate the honorary nature of the award after their names.

For instance, individuals may write “Chief Louis Clark, D.Lit. (Honoris Causa)” or “Mrs Miriam Adamu, LL.D. (Hons.),” ensuring a clear distinction between honorary recognition and earned doctoral qualifications.

The policy also standardises the categories of honorary degrees that Nigerian universities are permitted to award, limiting them 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, universities without active PhD programmes are now barred from awarding honorary degrees—a move aimed at curbing what the government describes as the growing commercialisation of academic honours by institutions lacking adequate research capacity.

Alausa explained that all honorary degree certificates must explicitly state “honorary” or “Honoris Causa” to prevent ambiguity or misuse.

To ensure compliance, the Federal Government, through the National Universities Commission (NUC), will issue a formal circular to vice-chancellors, registrars, and governing councils of universities nationwide.

The minister added that convocation ceremonies will be closely monitored, while collaboration with the media will be strengthened to discourage the improper use of academic titles by honorary awardees.

The policy builds on earlier efforts to regulate the practice, including the 2012 “Keffi Declaration” introduced by the Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities. However, Alausa noted that the declaration lacked legal backing and enforcement mechanisms.

“The association doesn’t have any legal backing to enforce anything. That is why we brought this to the Federal Executive Council, which now gives it legal and executive backing,” he said.

Education stakeholders have welcomed the move as a significant step toward sanitising Nigeria’s academic space and preserving the value of earned doctoral degrees.

Analysts say the enforcement of the directive will be crucial, particularly in a society where titles carry significant social and political influence.

The new policy is expected to reshape how honorary degrees are perceived and used in Nigeria, reinforcing the distinction between academic achievement and ceremonial recognition.

FG Bans Honorary Degree Holders from Using “Dr” Title