NUC to crackdown on fake honorary doctorates in Nigeria
National Universities Commission
Abdullateef Fowewe
The National Universities Commission has announced a sweeping clampdown on illegal institutions issuing fake honorary doctorate degrees across the country.
The decision according to a statement by the Commission follows an NUC investigation that uncovered 32 outfits operating as “honorary degree mills.”
Executive Secretary Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, speaking in Abuja, expressed concern over the rising abuse of honorary titles and the ease with which unqualified bodies now award them.
According to Ribadu, the 32 identified entities include 10 unaccredited foreign universities, 4 local universities operating without proper licences, 15 professional bodies with no authority to award degrees, and 3 other organisations that are not degree-awarding institutions. Some of them, he noted, also issue fake professorship titles.
Ribadu stressed that honorary degrees are meant to recognise exceptional service, not to serve as academic credentials.
He referenced the Keffi Declaration of 2012, which bars universities from awarding honorary degrees to serving public officials and warns recipients against using the title “Dr” without clarifying that it is honorary.
Using “Dr” from an honorary degree without indicating it is honoris causa, he warned, amounts to false representation and is punishable under fraud-related laws.
He stated that only licensed public and private universities are permitted to award honorary doctorates in Nigeria.
Recipients may use formats such as D.Litt. (h.c.), but cannot use honorary degrees to teach, supervise research, or occupy academic positions.
To strengthen oversight, the Commission has developed national guidelines for awarding and using honorary degrees, expected to be released soon.
Enforcement will involve law enforcement agencies and other relevant bodies.
NUC urged the public and stakeholders to support efforts to protect the credibility of Nigeria’s higher education system and restore honour to honorary titles.
