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The Nigerian government has banned honorary degree holders from prefixing “Dr” to their names in official, academic, or professional usage, the Minister of Education announced on Wednesday.
Tunji Alausa disclosed the decision while briefing State House correspondents on the memorandum presented to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at its meeting last Thursday, which was approved.
Alausa said the use of “Dr.” by people who do not merit it is an abuse of the doctorate degree, and such misrepresentation would henceforth be treated as academic fraud.
“The recent trend we’ve seen with the award of honorary degrees has revealed a growing abuse and politicisation of this academic privilege,” Alausa said.
“We’ve seen awards being used for political patronage, for financial gain, as well as the conferment of awards on serving public officials, which, as part of the ethics of honorary degree awards, should not happen.”
New rules for recipients
Under the new policy, recipients of honorary degrees may no longer prefix “Dr” to their names. Instead, they must cite the full honorary designation after their names.
“For instance, you can use Chief Louis Clark, D.Lit. (Doctor of Literature, Honoris Causa) or Mrs Miriam Adamu, LL.D. Hons,” Alausa explained.
“Recipients shall not prefix ‘doctor’ to their names in official, academic, or professional usage,” the minister said.
“Misrepresentation of honorary degrees as earned academic credentials shall be considered academic fraud and subject to legal and reputational consequences.”
Restrictions on universities
The policy also restricts the types of honorary degrees Nigerian universities can confer to four: Doctor of Laws (LL.D.), Doctor of Letters (D.Lit.), Doctor of Science (D.Sc.), and Doctor of Humanities (D.Arts).
It further bars universities without active PhD-awarding programmes from conferring honorary degrees at all.
Alausa said the restriction is aimed at the proliferation of newer institutions that have been awarding honorary doctorates despite being less than five years old and having no postgraduate research programmes.
The minister noted that all honorary degrees must carry the words “honorary” or “Honoris Causa” on the award certificate and in all references.
The Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission will issue a circular to all vice-chancellors, registrars, and governing councils.
The ministry will also publish an annual list of legitimate honorary degree recipients.
The Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities attempted to address the challenge in 2012 through the Keffi Declaration, but it lacked legal or executive backing.
“The association doesn’t have any legal backing to enforce anything. That is why we brought this to the Federal Executive Council, which now gives it legal and executive backing,” Alausa said.
