FG Bans ‘Dr’ Title for Honorary Degree Holders, Warns of Sanctions
The Federal Government has introduced a new directive banning recipients of honorary degrees from using the title “Dr” before their names in any official, academic, or professional setting.
Authorities say the misuse of the title will now be treated as a false representation of academic qualifications, carrying possible legal and reputational consequences.
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, announced the policy in Abuja while briefing journalists on recent approvals by the Federal Executive Council. He explained that the move establishes a uniform guideline for how honorary degrees are awarded and referenced across Nigerian universities.
According to the minister, the policy aims to curb the growing misuse of honorary degrees, which he said have increasingly been awarded for political recognition or financial influence rather than merit. He also criticised the practice of granting such honours to serving public officials, describing it as inconsistent with academic ethics.
Under the new framework, recipients must clearly indicate the honorary nature of their awards by placing the designation after their names, such as “LL.D (Honoris Causa)” or “D.Lit (Honoris Causa),” rather than using the “Dr” prefix.
The government also limited the categories of honorary degrees that institutions can award to four: Doctor of Laws, Doctor of Letters, Doctor of Science, and Doctor of Humanities. Universities without active doctoral programmes have been barred from conferring honorary degrees altogether.
Alausa noted that all honorary awards must explicitly include the term “honorary” or “Honoris Causa” on certificates and official references to avoid confusion with earned qualifications.
The directive follows longstanding concerns within Nigeria’s academic community over the commercialisation of honorary degrees. Previous attempts to regulate the practice, including guidelines introduced in 2012, lacked legal backing and were largely ineffective.
With the new policy now approved by the Federal Executive Council, enforcement will be carried out by the National Universities Commission in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. Universities have been directed to comply, while convocation ceremonies will be monitored to ensure adherence.
The government also plans to publish an annual list of legitimate honorary degree recipients and work with the media to discourage improper use of academic titles, as part of efforts to restore credibility to Nigeria’s education system.
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