Nigeria’s university regulator has moved to restore credibility to the nation’s academic honours system, unveiling sweeping new rules to curb what it calls the growing abuse of honorary doctorate degrees.

In a public notice issued Thursday, the National Universities Commission (NUC) announced a comprehensive framework governing both the award and use of honorary doctorates, warning universities and recipients alike that violations will attract sanctions.

The Commission said it acted under its powers in the Education (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions) Act, CAP E3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, following what it described as a disturbing trend.

“The Commission has observed, with grave concern, the increasing incidence of indiscriminate conferment and misuse of Honorary Doctorate Degrees within the Nigerian University System,” the notice read.

It added that “the Management of the Commission has approved comprehensive Guidelines for the Award and Use of Honorary Doctorate Degrees in Nigeria.”

The tougher stance follows an investigation that exposed widespread irregularities across the system. According to the Commission, a probe covering 61 institutions and professional bodies uncovered 32 entities operating as honorary degree mills.

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The affected bodies include unaccredited foreign universities, unlicensed local institutions, and professional associations with no legal powers to award degrees. Some, the report revealed, were even issuing fake professorships.

The findings prompted the regulator to introduce stricter eligibility standards and clearer usage rules aimed at preserving academic integrity and Nigeria’s global university reputation.

In one of the most consequential directives, the NUC ruled that recipients of honorary doctorates must not use the title “Dr,” clarifying that the designation is reserved strictly for holders of earned PhDs or medical qualifications.

While recipients may append approved honorary titles such as Doctor of Law (Honoris Causa) or LL.D. (h.c.) after their names, they are barred from using the awards to practise as scholars or professionals, supervise research, or oversee academic or administrative units.

The Commission reiterated that honorary doctorates are “non-earned doctoral degrees awarded honoris causa, for the sake of honour, to acknowledge distinguished merit, outstanding public service, scholarly impact, creative achievement, or significant contributions that reflect the values and mission of the awarding institution.”

It also reminded the public that such honours, whether obtained locally or abroad, “should not be regarded as equivalent to earned academic doctorate qualifications.”

Below is the full list of the NUC-approved guidelines, as stipulated by the NUC:

1. Institutional eligibility: Only approved universities (either public or private) are eligible to award honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria.

2. Maturity requirement: Only universities that have graduated the first set of PhD students are eligible to award honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria.

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3. Purpose of the award: The purpose of the award shall be to recognize exceptional and sustained contribution, reflect institutional values, and ensure diversity.

4. Criteria for the award: The criteria for the award shall be clear and transparent with balanced representation across gender, race, nationality, and discipline to avoid conflicts of interest. All procedures for selecting and awarding honorary doctorate degrees shall be clearly stated on the official website of the awarding institution and made accessible.

5. Recipient eligibility: Self-nominated candidates and elected or appointed serving public officials are excluded.

6. Confidentiality: All aspects of the honorary doctorate degrees shall be treated with the highest level of confidentiality, and nominees shall only be contacted after their nominations have been approved by the Senate and Governing Council.

7. Award nomination: All nominations shall be processed by the statutory committee.

8. Approval: All nominations require University Senate and Governing Council approval.

9. Number of awards: The number of awards at each convocation shall not exceed three (3).

10. Nomenclature and title: All honorary doctorate degrees shall contain the nomenclature or title Honoris Causa. For example: Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa), D.Sc. (h.c.)

11. Conferment: Shall be in-person at the ceremony. In exceptional cases, the conferment may be done virtually or in absentia; it may be awarded posthumously.

12. No fee: Honorary doctorate degrees shall be conferred without any fee or expectation of payment from the recipient.

13. Usage: The recipients are at liberty to use the approved nomenclature or title of the honorary doctorate degree such as Doctor of Law (Honoris Causa) or LL.D. (h.c.); or letters (Honoris Causa) or D.Sc. (h.c.) after their names. However, they are not permitted to use “Dr.”, which is reserved for holders of earned degrees and medical professionals. Additionally, they are not permitted to use the honorary doctorate degree to practice as scholars or professionals, oversee administrative units, or supervise research work.

14. Orientation: All awarding universities shall provide both written and verbal orientation to recipients on how to use the award.
Publication of records: All universities shall regularly publish names of honorary doctorate degree recipients on their official website and make it accessible to the public, in order to uphold transparency.

15. Revocation policy: All awarding universities shall provide a formal mechanism to rescind awards if a recipient is convicted of fraud, or has engaged in any unethical conduct that is inconsistent with the values of the awarding institution.

Executive Secretary of the NUC, Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, said the guidelines were developed “with due regard to established academic traditions in Nigeria, including the resolutions of the Association of the Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities as articulated in the Keffi Declaration of 2012, and inputs submitted by universities in December 2025.”

He explained that the framework is intended “to provide informed policy direction, strengthen institutional practices, and promote a more transparent and accountable system for the award and use of honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria.”

The Commission stressed that all eligible universities must comply strictly with the new regime, warning that regulatory sanctions will be imposed on institutions — and individuals that violate the rules.