The Federal Government has approved fresh guidelines for the award and use of honorary doctorate degrees by Nigerian universities as part of efforts to check abuse of the honours and protect the integrity of the country’s higher education system.

The new policy, endorsed by the Federal Executive Council, was developed by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and announced on Wednesday in a statement issued by the Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, Folasade Boriowo.

According to the statement, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the guidelines were introduced in response to increasing concerns about the misuse, commercialisation and improper conferment of honorary academic awards.

“The Federal Government has approved comprehensive Guidelines for the Award and Use of Honorary Doctorate Degrees in Nigeria to strengthen academic integrity, transparency, and the credibility of the university system,” the minister said.

Under the framework, only universities that have produced their first set of PhD graduates will be permitted to award honorary doctorate degrees. In addition, institutions can confer no more than three honorary degrees during a single convocation ceremony.

The policy also requires every honorary doctorate award to bear the designation “Honoris Causa”, while beneficiaries are barred from adopting the title “Dr” solely because of the honour.

“All honorary degrees must carry the designation ‘Honoris Causa,” and recipients are prohibited from using the title “Dr,” the statement added.

The guidelines further direct universities to publicly disclose the identities of honorary degree recipients, organise orientation programmes for awardees and put in place procedures for withdrawing such honours when necessary.

“Universities are required to publish recipients’ names, provide orientation to awardees, and implement revocation procedures where necessary,” it stated.

As part of measures to ensure adherence, the government has established monitoring mechanisms, including a dedicated oversight unit within the NUC.

The statement noted that institutions that disregard the directives could face penalties ranging from suspension of accreditation activities to the dissolution of governing councils.

“The Federal Government directed strict compliance, warning that violations may attract sanctions including suspension of accreditation activities and dissolution of governing councils,” the statement said. (Nigerian Tribune)