The Federal Government has banned recipients of honorary doctorate degrees from using the title “Dr” before their names, declaring such usage a misrepresentation of academic qualifications.

Minister of Education Dr Tunji Alausa announced the policy on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa after the Federal Executive Council approved a uniform framework for honorary degree awards by Nigerian universities.

Under the new rules, honorary degree holders can no longer prefix “Dr” in official, academic, or professional settings. Instead, they must use the full post-nominal designation after their names.

Example formats approved: “Chief Louis Clark, D.Lit. (Honoris Causa)” or “Mrs Miriam Adamu, LL.D. Hons”.

Alausa said the reform targets decades of abuse, politicisation and commercialisation of honorary degrees. He cited cases of awards given for political patronage, financial gain, and conferment on serving public officials, which violates the ethics of such honours.

The Minister warned that prefixing “Dr” without an earned PhD or medical qualification will now be treated as academic fraud, with legal and reputational consequences.

Other key NUC/FG guidelines approved:

Who can award: Only universities with established PhD programmes can confer honorary degrees

Limit: Maximum 3 honorary degrees per convocation ceremony

Who’s barred: Serving public officials and self-nominated candidates cannot receive awards

No payment: Awards must be merit-based and free of charge

Transparency: Universities must publish recipient names online and have procedures to revoke honours for misconduct

No privileges: Honorary degrees do not grant rights to supervise research, hold academic posts, or practice regulated professions.

Sources: Federal Ministry of Education via Vanguard, Punch, Channels; NUC guidelines by Prof Abdullahi Ribadu