The National Universities Commission (NUC) has imposed a sweeping ban on Nigerian universities, prohibiting them from awarding honorary doctorate degrees to serving public officials, including elected politicians and appointed office holders.
The Commission also revealed that 32 institutions have been identified as honorary degree mills, operating illegally across the country. These include 10 unaccredited foreign universities, 4 unlicensed local institutions, 15 professional bodies without the authority to award degrees, and 3 additional non-degree-granting organisations.
NUC Executive Secretary, Professor Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, disclosed this in Abuja on Friday while receiving the report of a committee investigating the award, misuse, and growing abuse of honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria.
Ribadu vowed that the Commission, in collaboration with law enforcement agencies, will begin a nationwide clampdown on institutions issuing fake degrees. He condemned the rising trend of universities approaching influential individuals—especially those in office—for monetary patronage in exchange for honorary awards.
He warned that any individual who publicly parades the title “Dr” based on an honorary degree, without using the correct designation such as Doctor of Literature (Honoris Causa) or D. Litt. (h.c.), risks prosecution for false representation.
According to the NUC, honorary degrees are strictly intended to recognise individuals who have demonstrated exceptional service or achievements after leaving public office. He cited the recent honorary doctorate awarded to former President Goodluck Jonathan by Nile University—ten years after leaving office—as a model example of proper practice.
Ribadu further clarified that only approved public or private universities have the legal mandate to award honorary degrees. Recipients, he emphasised, must refrain from adopting the “Dr” title, which is reserved for holders of earned doctoral degrees and medical professionals.
The Executive Secretary noted that many institutions continue to ignore the Keffi Declaration of 2012, a policy adopted by Nigerian Vice-Chancellors to regulate honorary awards. The declaration prohibits awarding honorary doctorates to serving public officials and warns recipients against using the title “Dr” without clearly indicating the honorary status.
He described the committee’s findings as deeply troubling, noting that some institutions even issue fake professorships—a practice he said further damages the credibility of Nigeria’s higher education system.
Ribadu reiterated that the Education (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions) Act empowers the NUC to regulate honorary degree awards nationwide. He added that the Commission has now developed a national guideline for awarding and using honorary degrees, which will be released soon.
He urged Nigerians, stakeholders, and relevant government agencies to support the ongoing effort to restore dignity and credibility to honorary degrees in the country.
“We must defend the honour of Nigeria’s higher education system,” he stated.
