The Federal Government has banned recipients of honorary degrees from using the “Dr” title before their names, declaring the practice a misrepresentation of academic qualifications.
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, announced the directive in Abuja, stating that the misuse of honorary titles will now be treated as academic fraud with potential legal and reputational consequences.
According to the minister, the new policy—approved by the Federal Executive Council—aims to restore credibility to Nigeria’s academic system and curb the growing abuse of honorary degrees.
“Recipients shall not prefix doctor to their names in official, academic or professional usage,” Alausa said.
He explained that individuals awarded honorary degrees must instead use the full designation after their names to clearly indicate its honorary nature.
“For instance, you can write Chief John Doe, D.Lit (Honoris Causa) or Mrs Jane Smith, LL.D Hons,” he added.
The government also restricted Nigerian universities to awarding only four categories of honorary degrees: Doctor of Laws (LL.D), Doctor of Letters (D.Lit), Doctor of Science (D.Sc), and Doctor of Humanities (D.Arts).
In addition, institutions without active PhD programmes have been barred from awarding honorary degrees, a move targeted at curbing indiscriminate practices among newer universities.
Alausa noted that all honorary awards must explicitly include the words “honorary” or “Honoris Causa” on certificates and official references.
The policy follows years of criticism over the commercialisation and politicisation of honorary degrees in Nigeria, where such awards have often been linked to political patronage and financial influence rather than merit.
To ensure compliance, the National Universities Commission and the Federal Ministry of Education will monitor universities and enforce the directive.
The government also plans to publish an annual list of legitimate honorary degree recipients to safeguard the integrity of academic qualifications in the country.
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