Honorary Doctorates Under Fire: Government Moves to Curb Academic Fraud

Professor Abdullahi Ribadu, Executive Secretary of the NUC, announced the ban while presenting a report from a committee tasked with investigating the conferment and misuse of honorary doctorates in Nigeria. He explained that the decision was driven by findings from a nationwide investigation revealing widespread violations and unethical practices in the awarding of these degrees.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Professor Abdullahi Ribadu, Executive Secretary of the NUC, announced the ban while presenting a report from a committee tasked with investigating the conferment and misuse of honorary doctorates in Nigeria. He explained that the decision was driven by findings from a nationwide investigation revealing widespread violations and unethical practices in the awarding of these degrees.

“These honors are intended to recognize exceptional service or achievements, but increasingly they have been exploited for personal gain,” Ribadu stated. He also highlighted the growing problem of unaccredited and illegal institutions, both domestic and international, that operate as honorary degree mills.

The investigation found significant breaches of the 2012 Keffi Declaration, an agreement among Nigerian university vice-chancellors aimed at regulating the award of honorary degrees. The declaration explicitly prohibits the conferment of honorary doctorates to serving public officials and advises recipients against using the title “Dr” without proper clarification. Ribadu stressed that misrepresenting an honorary degree as an earned doctorate constitutes false representation and is punishable under Nigerian law.

He warned that such misuse undermines the credibility of universities and erodes public confidence in legitimate academic qualifications. The NUC report identified 32 institutions operating as honorary degree mills, including 10 unaccredited foreign universities, four unlicensed local institutions, 15 professional bodies without degree-awarding authority, and three other non-degree-awarding entities. Some of these even confer fake professorships.

Ribadu emphasized that the legal authority to award honorary doctorates rests solely with approved Nigerian universities. Recipients are expected to use appropriate designations such as “Doctor of Literature (Honoris Causa)” rather than the title “Dr,” which is reserved for holders of earned doctorates and medical professionals.