The National Universities Commission says the new policy is aimed at restoring credibility to honorary awards and preventing abuse of academic titles in Nigeria.
The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced a sweeping reform targeting the use of honorary doctorate titles, officially banning recipients of honorary degrees from using the “Dr.” prefix.
The directive, introduced through the National Universities Commission (NUC), forms part of broader efforts to protect the integrity of the nation’s university system and curb the growing abuse of honorary academic awards.
Under the new regulations, individuals awarded honorary doctorates will no longer be permitted to address themselves as “Doctor.” Instead, recipients are expected to use honorary distinctions in post-nominal form such as “D.Sc (Honoris Causa)” where necessary.
The reforms also place fresh restrictions on universities across the country. According to the NUC, only universities that have successfully produced PhD graduates will be eligible to confer honorary doctorate degrees.
Additionally, institutions will now be limited to awarding a maximum of three honorary degrees per convocation ceremony.
In another major development, serving public office holders have been barred from receiving honorary doctorate awards while in office, a move observers say is intended to reduce political influence and preserve academic standards.
The commission further warned against financial inducements linked to honorary awards, stressing that universities found violating the guidelines could face sanctions.
