The Federal Government has announced the immediate ban of the use of the prefix, “Dr.” before their names by recipients of honorary degrees, especially in official, academic or professional circumstances.
The government stated that the use of the title by recipients of honoraray degrees constitutes a misrepresentation of academic credentials, which will henceforth be treated as academic fraud, with attendant legal and reputational consequences.
Speaking on the new development on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, disclosed that the new policy takes immediate effect.
Alausa, who addressed journalist alongside the Minister of State for Education, Prof Suwaiba Ahmad, said the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved a uniform policy for the award and use of honorary degrees by Nigerian universities
The minister explained that the policy is designed to end the indiscriminate conferral of degrees for political patronage and financial gain, and to restore public confidence in the integrity of academic titles.
According to hi, “The recent trend we’ve seen with the award of honorary degrees has revealed a growing abuse and politicisation of this academic privilege.
“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.
Under the new policy, recipients of honorary degrees may no longer put “Dr” before their names.
Instead, they must cite the full honorary designation after their name, “For instance, you can use Chief Louis Clark, D.Lit. (Doctor of Literature, Honoris Causa)” or “Mrs Miriam Adamu, LL.D. Hons.”
The mkinister clarified that the above format clearly reflects the honorary rather than earned academic nature of the award.
“Recipients shall not prefix doctor to their names in official, academic or professional usage,” the minister said, adding, “Misrepresentation of honorary degrees as earned academic credentials shall be considered academic fraud and subject to legal and reputational consequences.”
The policy also restricts the types of honorary degrees Nigerian universities can confer to four: Doctor of Laws (LL.D), Doctor of Letters (D.Lit), Doctor of Science (D.Sc), and Doctor of Humanities (D.Arts)
As part of the government determination to end the proliferation of such awards, the minister said the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission (NUC) will issue a circular to all vice-chancellors, registrars, and governing councils in this regard.
He also noted that convocation programmes will be monitored for compliance with the policy, and the government will collaborate with the media to discourage improper attribution of academic titles to honorary recipients.
The ministry will also publish annually a list of legitimate honorary degree recipients to protect the integrity of earned academic qualifications, He said.