Nigeria’s university regulator has raised the alarm over widespread abuse of honorary doctorate degrees, identifying 32 institutions operating as honorary degree mills. The National Universities Commission said the trend is eroding public trust and damaging the credibility of the country’s higher education system.
The disclosure followed the submission of a special investigative report to the NUC in Abuja. The report was produced by a committee set up on September 1, 2025, by the Commission’s Executive Secretary, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, after multiple petitions from concerned citizens and stakeholders.
Presenting the findings, committee chairman Prof. Kabiru Baladi said the probe was triggered by growing concern that honorary titles are being exploited for prestige, influence, and unearned academic status. He said such practices undermine the purpose of honorary recognition, which is meant to celebrate exceptional service and societal impact.
The committee examined public records, reviewed memoranda from 27 vice-chancellors, and studied honorary degree guidelines from universities and regulators across Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America. The investigation found deep inconsistencies in how honorary degrees are awarded and used in Nigeria.
According to the report, some institutions comply with acceptable standards, but many ignore basic rules, including provisions of the 2022 Keffi Declaration. That declaration discourages awarding honorary degrees to serving public officials and bans self-nomination. Despite this, violations remain common.
Baladi said many recipients falsely present themselves as “doctors,” misleading the public and equating honorary recognition with earned doctoral qualifications. He stressed that an honorary degree does not entitle recipients to use the “Dr” title, except with the suffix honoris causa.
Receiving the report, Prof. Ribadu described the findings as troubling and timely. He revealed that the committee identified 32 honorary degree mills, including 10 foreign agricultural universities, four unlicensed local universities, 15 professional bodies without degree-awarding powers, and three institutions not authorised to issue degrees.
He warned that some of the institutions also confer fake professorships, describing the practice as fraudulent and punishable under the law. Ribadu reaffirmed that only approved Nigerian universities are legally empowered to award honorary doctorates under the Education Act.
He cautioned that honorary degree holders must not use the awards to assume academic positions, supervise research, or present themselves as trained professionals. Ribadu cited Nile University’s honorary doctorate for former President Goodluck Jonathan, awarded years after he left office, as an example of proper practice.
The NUC has now developed a national guideline on honorary degrees, which will be published soon. Ribadu said enforcement will follow immediately, with nationwide action against erring institutions and individuals in collaboration with law enforcement agencies.
He called on the media and the public to support efforts to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s university system, stressing that honorary degrees must remain symbols of genuine excellence, not tools for deception.
