The Federal Government has announced the prohibition of recipients of honorary degrees from prefixing “Dr” to their names in any official, academic, or professional settings.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, who announced the new policy at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, declared that any violation amounts to a form of academic fraud which shall be subjected to legal and reputational consequences.
Alausa told State House correspondents that two Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the policy starting from the previous cabinet meeting on April 30.
Alausa, who was in company of the Minister of State for Education, Prof Suwaiba Ahmad, also said the FEC approved a uniform policy to curb decades of indiscriminate conferral of honorary degrees for political patronage and financial gain.
He noted that recent trend that is being witnessed revealed the fact that award of honorary degrees has been seriously abused and politicised.
In the words of Alausa; “We have seen awards being used for political patronage, for financial gain, as well as the conferral of awards on serving public officials, which should not happen under the ethics of honorary degree awards”.
The education minister said that under the new rules, recipients must cite the full honorary designation after their names.
“For example: Chief Louis Clark, D.Lit. (Doctor of Literature, Honoris Causa) or Mrs Miriam Adamu, LL.D. Hons. Recipients shall not prefix doctor to their names in official, academic or professional usage.
“Misrepresentation of honorary degrees as earned academic credentials shall be considered academic fraud and subject to legal and reputational consequences,” the minister emphasised.
The policy specifically restricts honorary degrees to four types: Doctor of Laws (LL.D), Doctor of Letters (D.Lit), Doctor of Science (D.Sc), and Doctor of Humanities (D.Arts).
Alausa further said that universities without active Ph.D awarding programmes are barred from conferring any honorary degrees.
The minister said; “All honorary degrees must carry the words ‘honorary’ or ‘Honoris Causa’ on certificates and in all references”.
Alausa noted that the Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities attempted similar guidelines in the 2012 Keffi Declaration, adding however, that earlier effort lacked legal backing.
He said; “The association doesn’t have any legal backing to enforce anything. That is why we brought this to the Federal Executive Council, which now gives it legal and executive backing.
“The Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission (NUC), will issue a circular to all vice-chancellors, registrars, and governing councils.
“Convocation programmes will be monitored, and the government will collaborate with the media to discourage improper attribution of academic titles.
“The ministry will also publish an annual list of legitimate honorary degree recipients. The NUC has statutory power to enforce the policy,” Alausa said.
