The Federal Government has prohibited recipients of honorary degrees from using the title “Dr,” in a move aimed at curbing what it described as widespread abuse and restoring credibility to academic honours.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, announced the decision on Wednesday during a media briefing at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, following deliberations by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
According to the minister, the policy was approved at the FEC meeting held on April 30, as part of broader efforts to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s academic system.
“The recent trend we’ve seen with the award of honorary degrees has revealed a growing abuse and politicisation of this academic privilege,” Alausa said.
He further criticised the increasing use of honorary awards for non-academic purposes.
“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,” he added.
The minister explained that the directive is intended to draw a clear distinction between earned academic qualifications and honorary recognitions, while rebuilding public trust in the value of scholarly titles.
The development is expected to trigger adjustments across institutions and among public figures who have previously adopted the “Dr” title based solely on honorary degrees.
