The Nigerian Universities Commission has uncovered 32 fake entities involved in the sale of honorary doctorate degrees in the country. This revelation comes as the commission issues a warning to universities over the increasing abuse of honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria. The NUC has announced an imminent nationwide clampdown on fake award-granting institutions and individuals misusing the honorary “Doctor” title.
According to the Executive Secretary, Prof Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, the situation is a “matter of growing national concern.” Honorary degrees, meant to celebrate exceptional achievements, are being commercialized, abused, and issued by illegal institutions operating as degree mills across the country. An investigation led by the NUC uncovered 10 unaccredited foreign universities, 4 unlicensed local universities, 15 professional bodies without degree-awarding powers, and 3 non-degree-awarding institutions awarding honorary doctorate degrees.
Some of these organizations also confer fake professorships, further undermining the credibility of the nation’s academic system. Prof Ribadu condemned the rising number of recipients who use honorary awards to falsely present themselves as PhD holders, warning that such conduct is not only unethical but punishable under Nigerian fraud-related laws. Using the title “Dr” based on an honorary degree without clarification amounts to false representation, he stressed.
The NUC boss expressed concern over the widespread disregard for the Keffi Declaration of 2012, an agreement by Nigerian vice-chancellors that forbids universities from awarding honorary degrees to serving public officials and bars recipients from parading themselves with the “Dr” title. Only legally approved public or private universities are authorized to award honorary doctorates in Nigeria, and recipients must limit their usage to formats such as Doctor of Literature (Honoris Causa) or D.Litt (h.c.).
A national guideline for the award and use of honorary doctorate degrees has been completed and will soon be published. The commission, working with law enforcement agencies, will begin an aggressive crackdown on illegal degree mills and individuals misusing honorary titles. The NUC is appealing to the public, security agencies, and higher-education stakeholders to support the renewed effort to “restore honor to honorary degrees” and defend the dignity of Nigeria’s academic institutions.
The development highlights the need for regulatory oversight to maintain the integrity of Nigeria’s higher education system. With the clampdown on fake degree mills and the publication of the national guideline, the NUC aims to restore credibility to honorary doctorate degrees and prevent their misuse. The commission’s efforts are crucial in safeguarding the nation’s academic standards and preventing the exploitation of honorary degrees for personal gain.