The National Universities Commission (NUC) has issued 16 new guidelines regulating the award and use of honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria.
The directive was released pursuant to the Education (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions) Act, CAP E3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. According to the Commission, the new framework is designed to preserve academic integrity and protect the credibility of the Nigerian University System.
Rising Abuse Prompts Action
In recent years, concerns have grown over the misuse of honorary doctorate titles. Consequently, the Commission said intervention became necessary.
It stated: “The Commission has observed, with grave concern, the increasing incidence of indiscriminate conferment and misuse of Honorary Doctorate Degrees within the Nigerian University System. In response to this development, the Management of the Commission has approved comprehensive Guidelines for the Award and Use of Honorary Doctorate Degrees in Nigeria. The Guidelines are intended to regulate the conferment process, preserve academic integrity and safeguard the credibility of the Nigerian University System,” they stated.
Furthermore, the NUC clarified that honorary doctorate degrees, whether awarded locally or abroad, remain honorary distinctions. They must not be regarded as equivalent to earned academic doctorate qualifications.
The Commission also warned that regulatory sanctions would be imposed on institutions and individuals who violate the rules.
The 16 Guidelines at a Glance
To ensure clarity and compliance, the Commission outlined the rules as follows:
1. Only approved public and private universities in Nigeria may award honorary doctorate degrees.
2. Only universities that have graduated at least one set of PhD students are eligible to confer such awards.
3. The award must recognize exceptional and sustained contributions, reflect institutional values, and promote diversity.
4. The criteria must be clear and transparent, with balanced representation across gender, race, nationality, and discipline.
5. All nomination and conferment procedures must be published on the university’s official website and accessible to the public.
6. Self-nominated candidates and serving elected or appointed public officials are not eligible.
7. All nominations must be processed by the university’s statutory committee.
8. Each nomination requires approval from both the University Senate and the Governing Council.
9. The number of honorary doctorate awards per convocation must not exceed three (3).
10. All honorary doctorate degrees must clearly bear the title “Honoris Causa” (e.g., D.Sc. (h.c.), LL.D. (h.c.)).
11. Awards should be conferred in person during official ceremonies, except in special cases such as virtual, in absentia, or posthumous awards.
12. Honorary doctorate degrees must be awarded without any fee or expectation of payment.
13. All nomination processes and deliberations must remain confidential until final approval.
14. Recipients may use the approved honorary designation after their names but must not use the prefix “Dr.”
15. Honorary awardees must not use the title to practise professionally, supervise research, oversee administrative units, or assume academic roles.
16. Universities must provide proper orientation to recipients, publish recipients’ names on their official websites, and establish a formal mechanism to rescind awards in cases of fraud or unethical conduct.
Committee Identifies Degree Mills
Significantly, the guidelines followed the inauguration of a special committee on September 1, 2025, by the Executive Secretary, Abdullahi Ribadu.
The committee was established after a wave of petitions from citizens and stakeholders.
It identified 32 institutions operating as honorary doctorate “degree mills.” These included 10 foreign agricultural universities, four unlicensed local universities, 15 professional bodies without degree-awarding powers, and three non-degree-awarding institutions. Some were also found conferring fake professorships.
Therefore, the Commission reiterated that only approved Nigerian universities are legally permitted to award honorary doctorates under the Education Act.
It also stressed that recipients must not use the prefix “Dr.”, assume academic roles, supervise research, or present themselves as certified professionals on the basis of honorary awards.
Ultimately, the NUC expressed confidence that the new rules will restore discipline, integrity, and global respect to Nigeria’s university system.