Breaking: FG Bans ‘Dr’ Title for Honorary Degree Holders

• The federal government banned honorary degree holders from using the “Dr” prefix in official and professional contexts
• Authorities classified the misuse of honorary academic titles as academic fraud with possible legal consequences
• The new policy restricted honorary degrees to specific categories and introduced stricter oversight for Nigerian universities

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The federal government has prohibited recipients of honorary degrees from using the title “Dr” before their names in any official, academic, or professional setting.

Authorities say any attempt to present honorary awards as earned academic qualifications will now be treated as academic fraud, with possible legal and reputational consequences.

The announcement was made on Wednesday in Abuja by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, during a briefing at the Presidential Villa.

He explained that the decision followed approval by the Federal Executive Council of a new national framework regulating honorary degree awards in Nigerian universities.

Crackdown on misuse of academic titles

Alausa said the government became concerned about increasing abuse of honorary degrees, which he noted were being used for political influence, financial advantage, and ceremonial prestige. He added that some public officials were also being awarded such titles in ways that undermine academic standards.

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