The Federal Government has approved a new set of regulations governing the award and use of honorary doctorate degrees in Nigerian universities, in a move aimed at curbing abuse and preserving the credibility of the nation’s higher education system.
The policy, which received approval from the Federal Executive Council, was developed by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and announced on Wednesday through a statement issued by the Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, Folasade Boriowo.
According to the statement, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, explained that the guidelines were introduced to address growing concerns over the misuse, commercialization, and inappropriate conferment of honorary academic distinctions.
He noted that the new framework is designed to promote transparency, strengthen academic standards, and safeguard the integrity of Nigeria’s university system.
Under the revised guidelines, only universities that have successfully graduated their first set of PhD students will be eligible to confer honorary doctorate degrees. Institutions are also restricted to awarding a maximum of three honorary doctorates during a single convocation ceremony.
Additionally, all honorary doctorate awards must clearly carry the designation “Honoris Causa.” Recipients of such honours are not permitted to adopt or use the title “Dr” solely on the basis of the honorary degree.
The policy further requires universities to publicly announce the names of honorary degree recipients, provide orientation programmes for awardees, and establish clear procedures for withdrawing honorary awards where circumstances warrant such action.
To ensure compliance, the Federal Government has put in place monitoring measures, including the creation of a dedicated oversight unit within the NUC.
The government also warned that institutions that fail to comply with the new directives may face sanctions. These penalties could include the suspension of accreditation-related activities and, in severe cases, the dissolution of university governing councils.
The Ministry stated that all universities are expected to strictly adhere to the new guidelines as part of efforts to uphold academic excellence and restore confidence in honorary academic awards across the country.
