NUC Issues Fresh Guidelines To Curb Abuse Of Honorary Doctorate Degrees

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has issued fresh, comprehensive guidelines aimed at curbing the growing misuse and abuse of honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria’s university system.

In a circular dated Tuesday, February 24, 2026, and addressed to all Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian universities, the Commission said the new framework was designed to safeguard the integrity of the nation’s higher education sector, standardise procedures for the conferment of honorary degrees, and halt practices that undermine academic credibility.

The directive, signed on behalf of the Executive Secretary of NUC by the Acting Director of the Executive Secretary’s Office, Adewale Bakare, noted that the guidelines were first developed in September 2025 and circulated to universities for input in December 2025.

Following the receipt and incorporation of feedbacks from several institutions, the management of the Commission approved their final circulation for strict compliance.

“The Management of the Commission has approved the circulation of the Guidelines, following the receipt and incorporation of responses received from some universities.

“I am to emphasise that the Guidelines were formulated to safeguard the integrity of the university system, standardise procedures for the conferment of honorary degrees, and curb the growing incidence of misuse and abuse of such awards,” the circular stated.

According to the NUC, the guidelines became necessary in response to increasing concerns over the indiscriminate award and inappropriate use of honorary doctorate degrees, which, in some cases, have been linked to commercialisation, conflicts of interest and reputational damage to the university system.

The Commission stated that only approved universities, whether public or private, are eligible to award honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria.

Also, universities are to demonstrate academic maturity, as only institutions that have successfully graduated their first set of PhD students are permitted to confer such honours.

The guidelines further defined the purpose of honorary doctorate awards, stating that they must be used strictly to recognise exceptional and sustained contributions to society, scholarship or humanity.

It said the awards were also expected to reflect the core values of the awarding institution and promote diversity, rather than serve as tools for patronage or publicity.

On criteria and transparency, the NUC directed that universities must clearly spell out the standards for nomination and selection.

“The criteria for the award shall be clear and transparent with balanced representation across gender, race, nationality, and discipline to reflect the global mission of the university and avoid conflicts of interest.

“All procedures for selecting and awarding honorary doctorate degrees shall be clearly stated and made accessible on the official website of the awarding institution,” it added.

The Commission further barred self-nominations and excluded serving elected or appointed public officials from eligibility.

It also stressed that the entire nomination and selection process must be treated with the highest level of confidentiality, with nominees only contacted after their nominations have received approval from both the University Senate and the Governing Council.

The guidelines stipulated that all nominations must be processed through statutory committees, reinforcing institutional oversight and collective responsibility. In addition, the number of honorary doctorate degrees to be awarded at any convocation ceremony has been capped at three, a measure intended to preserve the prestige and exclusivity of the honour.

The NUC also clarified the limits of usage of honorary titles, noting that while recipients may use the approved nomenclature after their names, they are prohibited from using the title “Dr”, which is reserved strictly for holders of earned doctoral and medical degrees.

Furthermore, honorary doctorate holders are not permitted to use the award to practise as scholars or professionals, supervise research, or oversee academic or administrative units within universities.