The Federal Government has prohibited recipients of honorary degrees from using the “Dr” title before their names, declaring the practice a misrepresentation of academic credentials that will now be treated as academic fraud.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, announced the directive after Federal Executive Council approval, saying it introduces a uniform standard to curb abuse and restore credibility to academic titles.
Under the policy, honorary degree holders must not prefix “Dr” in any official, academic or professional context.
Instead, the designation should appear after their names, such as “D.Lit. (Honoris Causa)” or “LL.D. Hons.”
The government said the move addresses years of indiscriminate awards linked to political patronage and financial gain, including the conferment on serving public officials.
Universities are now restricted to four honorary degree categories—LL.D, D.Lit, D.Sc, and D.Arts—and only institutions with active PhD programmes can confer them.
All awards must clearly indicate “honorary” or “Honoris Causa.”
The Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission will issue guidelines and monitor compliance, including at convocations.
An annual list of legitimate recipients will also be published.
The policy, now backed by law, replaces earlier non-binding efforts and is expected to strengthen standards and protect the integrity of earned academic qualifications in Nigeria.
