FG bans Honorary degree holders from using “DR” title

The Federal Government has announced that recipients of honorary degrees will no longer be allowed to use the title “Dr” with their names Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed this during a media briefing at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday, following a decision reached at the Federal Executive Council meeting held on April 30.

Alausa, who appeared alongside the Minister of State for Education, Prof Suwaiba Ahmad, said the FEC approved a uniform policy for the award and use of honorary degrees by Nigerian universities.

The policy, he explained, is designed to end what he described as decades of indiscriminate conferral of degrees for political patronage and financial gain, and to restore public confidence in the integrity of academic titles.

He said, “The recent trend we’ve seen with the award of honorary degrees has revealed a growing abuse and politicisation of this academic privilege.

“We’ve seen awards being used for political patronage, for financial gain, as well as the conferral of awards on serving public officials, which, as part of the ethics of honorary degree awards, should not happen.”

Under the new policy, recipients of honorary degrees may no longer put “Dr” before their names. Instead, they must cite the full honorary designation after their name.

Giving examples, Alausa explained, “For instance, you can use Chief Louis Clark, D.Lit. (Doctor of Literature, Honoris Causa)” or “Mrs Miriam Adamu, LL.D. Hons.”

Alausa said this format clearly reflects the honorary rather than earned academic nature of the award.

“Recipients shall not prefix doctor to their names in official, academic or professional usage,” the minister said, adding, “Misrepresentation of honorary degrees as earned academic credentials shall be considered academic fraud and subject to legal and reputational consequences.”