Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
Nigeria’s university regulator has sanctioned two universities for violating rules governing honorary doctorate degrees, signalling a tougher effort to protect the credibility of academic honours across the country and its higher-education sector. The National Universities Commission (NUC) disclosed the action during a retreat with vice-chancellors in Abuja, but has not named the institutions or explained the penalties imposed.
Professor Abdullahi Ribadu, the NUC executive secretary, announced the sanctions on Tuesday, October 13, at the commission’s 2026 retreat for university leaders. He said the regulator had strengthened its operational guidelines to support quality and relevance in university education, including new rules for awarding and using honorary doctorates. “Already, we have sanctioned two universities,” he said, according to reports of his remarks.
The announcement marks a move from warnings to enforcement. In February, the NUC expressed concern about what it described as the growing indiscriminate conferment and misuse of honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria’s university system. It issued a 16-point framework and warned that institutions which breached the rules, as well as individuals who misused honorary titles, could face sanctions.
The two universities have not been identified publicly in the reports of Ribadu’s announcement. The NUC has also not disclosed whether the penalties involve formal warnings, restrictions, or other regulatory measures. Without those details, it is not possible to determine the full consequences for the institutions or whether the action affects particular programmes, students, or graduation activities.
Honorary doctorates are ceremonial distinctions that universities may award to recognise exceptional contributions to public life, scholarship, culture, business, humanitarian work, or other fields. They are not earned through the normal academic process of research, examination and completion of a doctoral programme. The NUC’s guidelines seek to ensure that such awards remain recognitions of merit rather than becoming routine honours or being presented as equivalent to earned qualifications.
The distinction matters because academic titles carry public trust. When honorary awards are conferred without clear standards, or recipients use them in ways that suggest they have completed doctoral study, the public may struggle to distinguish ceremonial recognition from an earned academic credential. Such confusion can weaken confidence in universities and diminish the standing of people who complete demanding doctoral programmes.
The NUC’s February framework was introduced under the commission’s regulatory responsibilities and aligned with the Education (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions) Act, CAP E3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. The commission directed universities and other relevant degree-awarding institutions to follow the guidelines. Its intervention followed years of concern about the spread of honorary titles and questions over the conduct of some institutions and organisations presenting themselves as able to confer academic honours.
In February, the NUC said it was concerned by the increasing incidence of indiscriminate awards and misuse of honorary doctorates. The new rules were intended to establish clearer procedures for selecting recipients, conferring awards and describing them publicly. The framework also reinforced the principle that honorary degrees are ceremonial and must not be treated as equivalent to academic doctorates earned through study and research.
In May, Education Minister Tunji Alausa said the Federal Executive Council had approved a policy regulating the award and use of honorary degrees. Officials said recipients should not use the title “Dr” solely because they had received an honorary doctorate in official academic or professional settings, and that certificates and references should clearly identify the award as honorary or “honoris causa.”
Ribadu’s announcement came at a two-day retreat themed “Enhancing Regulatory Compliance, Governance, Leadership, and Partnership in the Nigerian University System.” The meeting brought together vice-chancellors, NUC management and strategic partners to discuss challenges facing higher education. Its agenda included regulatory compliance, institutional governance, leadership, partnerships, research and the need to improve the international competitiveness of Nigerian universities.
Minister of State for Education Suwaiba Ahmad said the rapid transformation of higher education through artificial intelligence, digital learning, data analytics and research innovation required universities to develop appropriate policies. She highlighted issues including academic integrity, ethics, data protection and responsible use of artificial intelligence. Ahmad also urged university leaders to strengthen transparency and accountability in areas such as finance, procurement, recruitment, promotion, admissions and examinations.
Ribadu also highlighted reforms intended to improve the regulator’s work, including the deployment of the e-NUC platform to automate operations and the introduction of accreditation software to improve efficiency and transparency. He referred to work on a national artificial intelligence roadmap and policy framework. He urged universities to do more to turn research findings into practical solutions, marketable products and innovations that address national development needs.
The sanctions over honorary degrees therefore form part of a broader discussion about standards, institutional responsibility and public confidence in higher education. However, the commission has not said that the two cases are linked to any of the other reforms announced at the retreat. The confirmed reason for the sanctions is the violation of its honorary-degree guidelines.
The immediate questions are which universities were sanctioned, what specific provisions they breached, and what penalties they must meet. Public disclosure of those details would help institutions understand how the guidelines are being applied and allow students, staff and the wider public to assess the implications. Until the NUC provides further information, naming institutions or describing the consequences would be speculation.
For universities, the message from the regulator is clear: honorary doctorates are not simply ceremonial events beyond oversight. Institutions are expected to follow the rules governing their award and use, while recipients must not present honorary recognition as an earned doctorate. The effectiveness of the new framework will depend not only on sanctions, but also on consistent enforcement, transparent decisions and clear communication from the regulator.
The latest action places the issue of honorary degrees firmly back in the spotlight. By confirming that two universities have been sanctioned, the NUC has demonstrated that its warning is being enforced. The next test will be whether it provides enough detail to show how the rules apply in practice, while ensuring that legitimate honorary awards retain their value as distinctions for meaningful contributions.
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