NUC Bans Honorary Degree Recipients From Using ‘Dr’ Title

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has introduced fresh guidelines to regulate the conferment of honorary degrees in Nigerian universities, including a prohibition on recipients using the “Dr.” title.

According to the commission, the new policy is designed to address what it described as the indiscriminate award of honorary degrees and to uphold the sanctity of academic honours.

Under the revised framework, only universities that have successfully produced their first set of PhD graduates will be permitted to award honorary degrees.

The NUC emphasised that recipients must not prefix their names with “Dr.” but should instead adopt appropriate post-nominal titles, such as Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) – D.Sc (H.C). It reiterated that the “Dr.” title is exclusively reserved for individuals who have earned doctoral degrees through academic study or are licensed medical practitioners.

The guidelines further prohibit any form of payment or expectation of financial contribution from awardees, stressing that honorary degrees must be granted strictly on merit and at no cost.

To ensure stricter oversight, universities are now restricted to conferring a maximum of three honorary degrees per convocation ceremony.

In addition, self-nominated candidates and serving elected or appointed public office holders have been barred from receiving such honours.

As part of efforts to promote transparency, institutions are required to publish the names of all honorary degree recipients on their official websites and establish clear policies for revoking awards from individuals found guilty of fraud or unethical conduct.

The Commission also clarified that honorary degrees do not grant professional privileges, including the right to practise in regulated professions, supervise academic research, or occupy administrative roles within universities.

Reaffirming its position, the NUC warned that compliance with the new guidelines is mandatory, noting that institutions that flout the rules risk regulatory sanctions.

It added that the measures form part of broader efforts to protect the credibility and global standing of Nigeria’s university system.