NUC develops guideline on honorary doctorate degrees, identifies 32 fake award-granting institutions
The National Universities Commission (NUC) has raised concerns over the growing misuse of honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria, warning that unregulated awards are undermining the credibility of the country’s higher education system.
Speaking in Abuja on Thursday, Abubakar Yusufu Ribadu, executive secretary of the NUC, said an investigation by the commission uncovered 32 institutions operating as “honorary degree mills” across the country.
The institutions include 10 unaccredited foreign universities, four unlicensed local universities, 15 professional bodies without degree-awarding powers, and three other institutions that have no legal mandate to issue academic titles.
Ribadu said honorary doctorate degrees are designed to recognise exceptional service and achievements, but many recipients now misuse the titles, while illegal institutions have turned the awards into a commercial venture.
He said the practice violates the Keffi Declaration of 2012, a policy agreed by vice-chancellors to regulate the awards. The declaration prohibits conferring honorary degrees on serving public officials and forbids recipients from using the title “Dr” without proper clarification.
“Using the title ‘Dr’ based on an honorary degree without disclosure amounts to false representation and is punishable under fraud-related laws,” he warned.
The NUC boss added that the misuse of honorary titles not only breaches ethics but also “threatens the integrity of our universities” and diminishes the value of legitimate academic qualifications.
He stressed that only approved public and private universities are authorised to award honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria. While recipients may use labels such as Doctor of Literature (Honoris Causa) or D.Litt (h.c.), they are barred from adopting the “Dr” prefix or using the award to practise as scholars, supervise research, or run academic units.
Ribadu said the commission has developed a new national guideline for awarding and using honorary doctorate degrees, which will soon be published.
He added that the NUC, in collaboration with law enforcement agencies, will begin a clampdown on illegal degree-awarding bodies.
“We must restore honour to our honorary degrees,” Ribadu said. “Let us defend the dignity of Nigerian higher education.”
He called for the support of government agencies, stakeholders, and the public in enforcing the guidelines and protecting the sanctity of the university system.
