Nigeria curbs honorary doctorate abuse, bars 'Dr' title for recipients

Nigeria's government has enacted new regulations to address the widespread abuse and commercialization of honorary doctorates. The Federal Executive Council approved guidelines that impose stricter eligibility criteria on universities, limit the number of honorary awards, and forbid recipients from using the title "Dr." based solely on these distinctions.

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the framework was designed to strengthen academic integrity, transparency and the credibility of Nigerian universities.

Education Minister Tunji Alausa stated the framework is designed to bolster academic integrity, transparency, and the overall credibility of Nigerian universities. These new rules follow months of debate, including a challenge in the House of Representatives arguing that honorary doctorate holders should not be addressed as doctors. The National Universities Commission had previously issued its own guidelines, barring public office holders from receiving honorary doctorates while in office.

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there should be “a clear distinction between honorary degrees and a doctor of philosophy.”

Under the new policy, only universities that have successfully graduated PhD students will qualify to award honorary doctorates. Furthermore, institutions are capped at a maximum of three honorary awards per convocation. The Ministry of Education emphasized that the framework establishes clear procedures for eligibility, nomination, approval, conferment, usage, and revocation, ensuring awards are granted under transparent and standardized conditions. The regulations aim to preserve academic integrity and protect the reputation of the university system, distinguishing honorary distinctions from earned academic qualifications.

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honorary doctorates are honorary distinctions and should not be regarded as equivalent to earned academic qualifications obtained through doctoral study and research.