NUC Receives Investigative Report on Misuse/Abuse of Conferment of Honorary Doctorate Degrees in Nigerian Universities

opeolumartinNovember 22, 2025November 22, 202503 mins

Abuja, Nigeria — 22, November 2025

The Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abdullahi Yusuf Ribadu, has officially received the report of a special investigation into the award and public misuse of honorary doctorate degrees across Nigerian universities.

The report, compiled by a committee constituted by the Commission, marks the culmination of several months of inquiries into the growing trend of indiscriminate conferment of honorary doctorates by some institutions. The investigation also examined widespread cases in which honourees publicly adopt the title “Dr” despite not having earned a PhD or equivalent academic qualification from a recognised university.

Presenting the document at the NUC Headquarters in Abuja, the committee highlighted concerns that the unchecked proliferation of honorary degrees—often awarded without adherence to established academic standards or institutional guidelines—has begun to erode the integrity of Nigeria’s higher education system. It further noted that some individuals use these honorary titles for self-promotion, political leverage, or the projection of unearned academic prestige.

Receiving the report, Prof. Ribadu commended the committee for its thorough work, describing the findings as “critical to restoring sanity, credibility, and respect for academic traditions in Nigerian universities.” He emphasized that honorary degrees are symbolic recognitions of societal contributions, not academic qualifications that confer scholarly titles or privileges.
The Executive Secretary reaffirmed the NUC’s commitment to addressing the issue decisively, stating that the Commission will review the recommendations and take appropriate regulatory actions to ensure that universities comply strictly with established norms for awarding honorary degrees.

He added that the Commission will also intensify public enlightenment efforts to discourage the misuse of honorary titles, stressing that only individuals who have completed and defended a doctoral-level academic programme are legally and ethically entitled to use the prefix “Dr.”
The NUC is expected to release further guidelines and enforcement measures in the coming weeks as part of its broader efforts to safeguard the integrity of Nigeria’s university system and uphold global academic standards.