Chidimma Uchegbu
The National Universities Commission (NUC) has expressed concern over the rising misuse of honorary doctorate degrees in Nigerian universities, warning that the trend threatens the credibility of the country’s higher education system.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Professor Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, revealed findings from an investigation into how honorary degrees are awarded and used across the country.
According to Ribadu, honorary doctorate degrees, intended to recognise outstanding service or exceptional achievement, are increasingly being abused by recipients who deploy the titles for self-promotion, misrepresentation, or unearned prestige. He added that the situation is worsened by the proliferation of unaccredited and illegal institutions, both local and foreign, that operate as “honorary degree mills.”
“These institutions offer degrees without merit, oversight, or legitimacy,” he said, describing the trend as a growing national concern. The NUC’s investigation identified 32 such entities, including 10 unaccredited foreign universities, four unlicensed local universities, 15 professional bodies with no authority to award degrees, and three other organisations with no degree-awarding powers. Ribadu noted that some of these institutions even go as far as issuing fake professorship titles.
The Commission also lamented widespread non-compliance with the Keffi Declaration of 2012, a policy signed by Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian universities to regulate the award of honorary degrees. The declaration prohibits the conferment of honorary doctorates on serving public officials and warns recipients against adopting the title “Dr” without proper clarification.
Ribadu stressed that the misuse of honorary degrees is not only unethical but also illegal. “Using ‘Dr’ based on an honorary degree without disclosure constitutes false representation and is punishable under Nigeria’s fraud-related laws,” he warned.
He added that such practices devalue the hardwork of genuine scholars and erode public trust in the education system.
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. The Commission is also set to commence a nationwide clampdown on honorary degree mills, working closely with security agencies and other government bodies.
Ribadu called on stakeholders, universities, and the general public to support the Commission’s efforts to restore dignity and credibility to honorary degrees in Nigeria.
“We must defend the honour of our higher education system,” he said.
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