The National Universities Commission has issued fresh guidelines regulating the award and use of honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria.

It cited what it described as the increasing incidence of indiscriminate conferment and misuse of such honours within the Nigerian University System.

In a public notice released on its official X page on Thursday, the Commission said the guidelines were approved pursuant to its powers under the Education (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions) Act, CAP E3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The notice read, “The National Universities Commission (NUC), by virtue of the provisions of the Education Act (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions), CAP E3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and in the discharge of its statutory responsibility to ensure the orderly development of university education in Nigeria, hereby issues this Public Notice.

“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 NUC stated that the new framework was designed to regulate the conferment process, preserve academic integrity and safeguard the credibility and global reputation of the Nigerian University System.

It directed all Nigerian universities and other degree-awarding institutions to strictly adhere to the provisions.

It also warned that appropriate regulatory sanctions would be imposed on institutions and individuals found to have violated the approved guidelines.

The Commission also reminded the public that honorary doctorate degrees, whether awarded within Nigeria or abroad, are honorary distinctions and should not be regarded as equivalent to earned academic doctorate qualifications.

The Commission described honorary doctorate degrees as “non-earned doctoral degrees awarded honoris causa, for the sake of honour, to acknowledge distinguished merit, outstanding public service, scholarly impact, creative achievement, or significant contributions that reflect the values and mission of the awarding institution.”

Executive Secretary of the NUC, Prof. Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, said the guidelines were developed “with due regard to established academic traditions in Nigeria, including the resolutions of the Association of the Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities as articulated in the Keffi Declaration of 2012, and inputs submitted by universities in December 2025.”

He added that the framework was intended “to provide informed policy direction, strengthen institutional practices, and promote a more transparent and accountable system for the award and use of honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria.”

The NUC launched the guidelines after an investigation revealed widespread misuse of honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria.

The inquiry, covering 61 institutions and professional bodies, found 32 entities operating as honorary degree mills, including unaccredited foreign universities, unlicensed local universities, and professional bodies with no degree-awarding powers.

According to the report, some were even issuing fake professorships. The Commission warned that recipients must not use the title “Dr,” which is reserved for holders of PhDs or medical degrees, and cannot use honorary degrees to practise as scholars, supervise research, or oversee administrative units.

Below is the full list of the NUC-approved guidelines, as stipulated by the NUC:

Institutional eligibility: Only approved universities (either public or private) are eligible to award honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria.

Maturity requirement: Only universities that have graduated the first set of PhD students are eligible to award honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria.

Purpose of the award: The purpose of the award shall be to recognize exceptional and sustained contribution, reflect institutional values, and ensure diversity.

Criteria for the award: The criteria for the award shall be clear and transparent with balanced representation across gender, race, nationality, and discipline to avoid conflicts of interest. All procedures for selecting and awarding honorary doctorate degrees shall be clearly stated on the official website of the awarding institution and made accessible.

Recipient eligibility: Self-nominated candidates and elected or appointed serving public officials are excluded.

Confidentiality: All aspects of the honorary doctorate degrees shall be treated with the highest level of confidentiality, and nominees shall only be contacted after their nominations have been approved by the Senate and Governing Council.

Award nomination: All nominations shall be processed by the statutory committee.

Approval: All nominations require University Senate and Governing Council approval.

Number of awards: The number of awards at each convocation shall not exceed three (3).

Nomenclature and title: All honorary doctorate degrees shall contain the nomenclature or title Honoris Causa. For example: Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa), D.Sc. (h.c.)

Conferment: Shall be in-person at the ceremony. In exceptional cases, the conferment may be done virtually or in absentia; it may be awarded posthumously.

No fee: Honorary doctorate degrees shall be conferred without any fee or expectation of payment from the recipient.

Usage: The recipients are at liberty to use the approved nomenclature or title of the honorary doctorate degree such as Doctor of Law (Honoris Causa) or LL.D. (h.c.); or letters (Honoris Causa) or D.Sc. (h.c.) after their names. However, they are not permitted to use “Dr.”, which is reserved for holders of earned degrees and medical professionals. Additionally, they are not permitted to use the honorary doctorate degree to practice as scholars or professionals, oversee administrative units, or supervise research work.

Orientation: All awarding universities shall provide both written and verbal orientation to recipients on how to use the award.

Publication of records: All universities shall regularly publish names of honorary doctorate degree recipients on their official website and make it accessible to the public, in order to uphold transparency.

Revocation policy: All awarding universities shall provide a formal mechanism to rescind awards if a recipient is convicted of fraud, or has engaged in any unethical conduct that is inconsistent with the values of the awarding institution.

The guidelines, according to the Commission, align with resolutions of the Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities as articulated in the Keffi Declaration of 2012.

Ribadu, said all eligible universities are required to comply strictly with the approved framework, reiterating that sanctions would apply to institutions that confer honorary doctorates in violation of the regulations. (The PUNCH)

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