The Nigerian government has put new rules in place for giving out and using honorary doctorates. This is to tackle worries about how these honours are being misused and commercialized in Nigeria’s universities.
The guidelines, approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), set stricter rules for universities. They limit the number of honorary degrees that can be given and stop recipients from using the title "Dr" just because they received honorary degrees.
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, announced this new policy in a statement from the Ministry of Education spokesperson, Folashade Boriowo. He said this framework aims to improve academic honesty, transparency, and the reputation of Nigerian universities.
Mr Alausa explained that this policy responds to worries about the misuse and commercialization of honorary awards.
Ongoing discussion
This new policy comes after months of discussions about how often honorary doctorate degrees are given. Many recipients begin to call themselves "Dr" in public after receiving these degrees.
In January, Solomon Bob, a member of the House of Representatives, spoke against this practice. He argued that those with honorary doctorates should not be called doctors because these awards are not the same as earned doctoral degrees.
He emphasized that there should be “a clear distinction between honorary degrees and a doctor of philosophy.”
The issue became more prominent in February when the National Universities Commission (NUC) released guidelines on honorary doctorates. They pointed out a rising trend of careless awarding and misuse of these honours in Nigerian universities.
The NUC said that public office holders cannot receive honorary doctorates while they are in office. These guidelines were made after talks with various universities.
According to the NUC, these rules are necessary to keep academic integrity and the university system's credibility intact. The commission also noted that honorary doctorates are special recognitions and are not the same as earned academic qualifications from doctoral study and research.
New restrictions for universities
Under the new rules, only universities that have graduated their first group of PhD students can give honorary doctorates. The policy also limits universities to giving out a maximum of three honorary doctorates at each convocation ceremony.
The ministry said the framework lays out clear processes for eligibility, nomination, approval, award, use, and withdrawal of honorary doctorates. It aims to make sure that these awards are given fairly and consistently.
One of the main rules stops recipients of honorary doctorates from calling themselves "Dr." The ministry also stated that all honorary degrees must have the title Honoris Causa to show they are different from earned doctorates.
Enforcement and penalties
The guidelines also put in place systems to monitor how universities follow these rules. Mr Alausa said a Special Fraud Unit will be set up under the NUC to enforce this policy.
Universities will need to publish the names of those who receive honorary degrees. They must also provide guidance for awardees and have ways to take back honours if needed.
The ministry warned schools against breaking these rules, insisting on strict adherence throughout the sector. "The federal government directed strict compliance, warning that violations may attract sanctions including suspension of accreditation activities and dissolution of governing councils," the statement said.
Drop your comment
No comments yet — be the first to drop the gist 👇