The Federal Government has approved comprehensive guidelines regulating the award and use of honorary doctorate degrees by Nigerian universities, in a move aimed at protecting academic integrity, transparency and the credibility of the university system.

The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, CON, disclosed this in a statement, saying the policy was approved by the Federal Executive Council following recommendations by the National Universities Commission, NUC.

According to the Minister, the new framework was introduced to address growing concerns over the abuse, commercialisation and misuse of honorary academic awards in Nigeria.

Alausa said the guidelines provide clear rules on eligibility, nomination, approval, conferment, usage and revocation of honorary doctorate degrees.

Under the new policy, only approved universities that have graduated their first set of PhD students are permitted to award honorary doctorate degrees.

The guidelines also limit such awards to a maximum of three recipients per convocation.

The Federal Government further directed that all honorary doctorate degrees must clearly carry the designation “Honoris Causa” to distinguish them from earned academic doctorate degrees.

Importantly, recipients of honorary doctorate degrees are prohibited from using the title “Dr.” as part of their official or professional identity.

The government said the restriction is necessary to prevent confusion between honorary awards and earned doctoral qualifications.

The guidelines also require universities to publish the names of recipients of honorary degrees and provide proper orientation to awardees on the nature, limits and permissible use of the honour.

Universities are also expected to put in place procedures for the revocation of honorary degrees where necessary.

To ensure compliance, the Federal Government said oversight mechanisms would be strengthened under the NUC, including the establishment of a Special Fraud Unit to monitor abuses and violations.

The government warned that institutions that breach the guidelines may face sanctions.

Such sanctions may include suspension of accreditation activities and, where necessary, dissolution of governing councils.

The Federal Government said strict compliance with the new policy is mandatory for all universities, stressing that honorary degrees must be awarded only in line with merit, institutional integrity and public trust.

The policy is expected to curb the indiscriminate award and misuse of honorary doctorate degrees and restore confidence in Nigeria’s higher education system.

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