The National Universities Commission (NUC) says it will begin a clampdown on honorary degree mills in Nigeria in collaboration with law enforcement and other relevant government agencies.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Professor Abdulahi Yusuf Ribadu stated this in at media briefing on Curbing the Misuse of Honorary Doctorate Degrees in Nigeria, held in Abuja, Nigeria.
He said the move comes as an investigative report identified 32 institutions operating as honorary doctorate degree mills, including 10 unaccredited foreign universities, 4 unlicensed local universities, 15 professional bodies with no degree-awarding powers, and 3 other non-degree-awarding institutions.
“It should be noted that this figure may not be exhaustive. It is even more alarming that some of these institutions go as far as awarding fake professorships,” he said.
He said Honorary doctorate degrees are meant to recognise outstanding service or achievements of an individual, Unfortunately, these awards have increasingly been misused by recipients.
“More troubling is the rise of unaccredited and illegal institutions (both local and foreign) that operate as honorary doctorate degree mills in Nigeria.
“They offer these degrees without merit, without oversight, and without legitimacy. In response to this disturbing trend, an investigation was carried out by the National Universities Commission (NUC) to examine how these degrees are awarded and used across Nigeria.
“The findings are deeply concerning. This is especially so because many institutions do not comply with the Keffi Declaration of 2012. This is the policy agreed upon by Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian universities to regulate the award of honorary doctorate degrees,” he said
He said the declaration prohibits the award of honorary degrees to serving public officials and cautions recipients against using the title “Dr” without proper disclosure, stressing that this is not just a matter of ethics; it is a matter of law.
“Using the title “Dr” based on an honorary degree without clarification amounts to false representation which is punishable under various fraud-related laws in Nigeria. Beyond the legal implications, this trend threatens the integrity of our universities and the value of genuine academic qualifications. It undermines the hard work of scholars and diminishes public trust in our education system,” he said.
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Curbing the Menace
Professor Ribadu called on stakeholders and all well meaning Nigerians to support the move to curb the menace for the dignity of tertiary institutions in the country.
“We are soliciting the support of all stakeholders, relevant government agencies, and the public in restoring honour to our honorary degrees. Let us defend the dignity of the Nigerian higher education,” he said.
According to him, awarding honorary degree is legal but only when given by approved Nigerian Universities and regulated by the NUC as contained in the Education Act , 2004
“Let us be clear; awarding honorary degrees is a legal responsibility of Nigerian universities and the Education (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions) Act, Chapter E2, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, L. F. N. 2004, empowers the National Universities Commission to regulate the award and use of honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria,” he said.
He said the commission has developed a national guideline for the award and use of Honorary doctorate degrees, which will soon be published, emphasising that the Commission is determined to guide the proper use of honorary degrees, regulate their awards, as well as protect the sanctity of Nigeria’s university educational system.
“For the avoidance of doubt, only approved universities (either public or private) are eligible to award honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria.
“Furthermore, the recipients of the awards are at liberty to use the nomenclature, such as Doctor of Literature (Honoris Causa) or the title D. Litt. (h.c.) at the end of their names, but they must refrain from using the title “Dr” which is the designation for PhD holders and medical personnel,” he said
He added that the awardees are not permitted to use the honorary doctorate degree to practice as scholars or professionals, supervise research or oversee administrative units.
Olusola Akintonde