Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The era of the 'Doctor' title for honorary degree holders has officially ended. In a sweeping directive that strikes at the heart of a long-criticised culture of academic vanity and political patronage, the Federal Government has barred recipients of honorary doctorates from prefixing "Dr" to their names in official, academic, or professional settings, declaring any such usage an act of academic fraud punishable by law.
The new policy was announced by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, during a briefing at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday, 6 May 2026. The decision was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at a meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu. According to Alausa, the government witnessed a "growing abuse" and "politicisation" of these academic privileges, with honorary degrees being handed out as political favours, sold for financial gain, or conferred on serving public officials—all of which contradict the ethics guiding such awards.
Under the new rule, honorary degree holders can no longer use the title as a prefix. Instead, they are required to clearly indicate the honorary nature of the award after their names. For example, the correct format would be "Chief Louis Clark, D.Lit. (Doctor of Literature, Honoris Causa)" or "Mrs Miriam Adamu, LL.D. Hons.". The minister stressed that while social usage is not strictly policed, the ban is absolute in all professional, academic, and official correspondence.
Alausa warned that anyone caught misrepresenting an honorary degree as an earned academic credential would now face legal consequences and reputational damage. To curb the indiscriminate award of these titles, the government has also limited the categories to just four: Doctor of Laws (LL.D), Doctor of Letters (D.Lit), Doctor of Science (D.Sc), and Doctor of Humanities (D.Arts).
Perhaps most significantly, the directive bars any institution that lacks an active PhD-awarding programme from conferring honorary doctorates. This move effectively "takes the shine" off dozens of newly established private and public universities that had been awarding ornamental titles to wealthy individuals and politicians to generate revenue or gain influence.
The Federal Government also announced that, moving forward, the National Universities Commission (NUC) must pre-approve any honorary degree nominations before they are made. The minister will also publish an annual list of legitimate recipients to ensure transparency.
The government's interference in university autonomy was challenged by journalists at the briefing. Responding, Alausa firmly stated that "autonomy does not give any institution the right to break the law in this country". This policy gives legal teeth to the Keffi Declaration of 2012, a non-binding agreement by vice-chancellors that largely failed to curb abuses due to a lack of enforcement powers.
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