The Federal Government of Nigeria has banned recipients of honorary degrees from attaching the title “Dr” to their names.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, announced the decision during a media briefing at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday.
According to the minister, the directive was approved during the Federal Executive Council meeting held on April 30.
Alausa explained that the move is intended to curb the growing abuse and politicisation of honorary degree awards by universities across the country.
He said the government observed that honorary degrees were increasingly being awarded for political patronage, financial interests and to serving public officials, contrary to the ethics guiding such recognitions.
The minister warned that universities found violating the directive would face sanctions, adding that vice chancellors had been instructed to ensure stricter compliance with the new guidelines.
He further disclosed that universities will now be required to obtain approval from the Nigerian Universities Commission before conferring honorary degrees.
