By Tony Onyima
Nigeria’s university system has received a major regulatory shake-up as the National Universities Commission (NUC) released new guidelines governing the award of honorary doctorate degrees, including provisions affirming the existing power of Universities to revoke such honours where recipients are found guilty of fraud or unethical conduct.
The new policy framework, announced by the Commission, is designed to curb what it described as the “indiscriminate” conferment of honorary degrees and to restore the integrity and prestige of academic honours in the Nigerian University System.
Under the revised guidelines, only universities that have graduated their first set of PhD students are now eligible to confer honorary degrees. This measure, according to the NUC, is intended to ensure that only academically mature institutions with proven postgraduate capacity can award such honours.
The Commission also placed a clear restriction on the use of the title “Dr.” by honorary degree recipients. It stated that recipients of honorary doctorates must not use the title “Dr.” before their names but should instead use the appropriate designation after their names, such as Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa), abbreviated as D.Sc (H.c). The title “Dr.”, the Commission emphasized, remains strictly reserved for individuals who have earned academic doctoral degrees or are qualified medical professionals.
In a move to eliminate what has often been described as “pay-to-play,” the NUC directed that honorary degrees must be awarded strictly free of charge. Universities are prohibited from charging fees or expecting donations from prospective recipients as a condition for the award.
The guidelines also introduced a strict quota system. Universities are now limited to awarding a maximum of three honorary degrees per convocation ceremony. In addition, the Commission ruled that self-nominated individuals, as well as elected or appointed serving public officials, are not eligible to receive honorary degrees under the new regulations.
To promote transparency, universities are required to publish the names of all honorary degree recipients on their official websites. More significantly, institutions must establish a formal revocation policy that allows them to withdraw honorary degrees if a recipient is later convicted of fraud or found guilty of serious ethical violations.
The NUC further clarified that an honorary doctorate does not confer professional or academic privileges. Recipients are not permitted to practice as professionals based on the honorary degree, hold academic administrative positions, or supervise research in universities.
The Commission stressed that the new guidelines are mandatory and warned that any university that violates the regulations — including awarding degrees to unqualified persons or exceeding the approved quota — will face regulatory sanctions.
The NUC stated that the new measures are part of ongoing efforts to protect the global reputation, credibility, and sanctity of the Nigerian University System. NNL .
