Tunji Alausa, minister of education
The Federal Government has approved a new policy prohibiting recipients of honorary degrees from using the “Dr” title, in a move aimed at curbing abuse and commercialisation of academic honours in Nigeria.
The decision was taken by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and introduces stricter regulations on the awarding and use of honorary degrees by universities nationwide.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, said the policy was necessary due to the growing misuse of honorary doctorates, where recipients present them as academic qualifications and adopt the “Dr” title publicly.
Under the new rules, honorary degrees must be recognised only as awards, and any misrepresentation will be treated as academic fraud with possible legal and reputational consequences.
The policy also restricts awarding honorary degrees to universities with established PhD programmes, while the National Universities Commission (NUC) will oversee compliance and publish annual recipient lists.
Tags: Education, FG Policy, FEC, NUC, Tunji Alausa, Nigeria, Universities, Academic Fraud, Honorary Degree, Higher Education
