The committee set up by the National Universities Commission to investigate the growing politicisation and misuse of honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria has submitted its report to the Commission.
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The Executive Secretary of the NUC, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, announced this on Wednesday during the 13th convocation ceremony of Nile University of Nigeria, Abuja.
Ribadu had on Monday, September 1, 2025, inaugurated a five-man panel following an inquiry from a journalist at DUBAWA, the fact-checking platform of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development. The inquiry sought clarification on the widespread use of the title “Dr” by recipients of honorary degrees from Nigerian and foreign universities, and the implications for academic integrity.
The committee was chaired by former Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and NUC Visiting Professor, Kabiru Bala. The panel was tasked with proposing ethical guidelines for honorary doctorate recipients and recommending best practices for awarding and regulating honorary doctorates in Nigeria.
Speaking on Wednesday, Ribadu lamented that many universities have failed to comply with the Keffi Declaration, signed by Nigerian vice-chancellors in 2012, which prohibits universities from awarding honorary doctorate degrees to serving public officers, whether political or otherwise.
“We have what is called the Keffi Declaration from 2012. The Keffi Declaration is against the award of honorary doctorates to serving officers, whether political or not. But a lot of our universities do not follow it,” Ribadu said.
He added that the committee had concluded its assignment and that the report would be made public on Friday.
Ribadu also congratulated the graduating class of Nile University and encouraged them to aspire to greater achievements.
The Keffi Declaration aims to uphold the integrity of academic honours by restricting honorary doctorates to individuals who meet defined academic, professional or humanitarian criteria. It also seeks to prevent the misuse of such awards for political patronage.
In recent years, however, both accredited and unaccredited Nigerian universities have continued to confer honorary doctorates on politicians, business leaders and celebrities. President Bola Tinubu recently received an honorary doctorate from Afe Babalola University, while Senator Ifeanyi Ararume was honoured by the Federal University, Lokoja. Celebrities such as Tiwa Savage, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde and Peter Okoye have also received honorary doctorates from institutions including the University of Kent, Igbinedion University and Escae University.
The legitimacy of some awarding institutions has also come under scrutiny.
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