FULL LIST: NUC warns varsities over abuse of honorary doctorate degrees, threatens sanctions

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has warned against the “increasing incidence of indiscriminate conferment and misuse” of honorary doctorate degrees within the Nigerian university system.

The commission said appropriate sanctions will be imposed on any institution found to have violated the NUC guidelines, as well as on individuals who misuse honorary titles.

The commission stated this in a public notice released on its official X page on Thursday,

The commission issued a 16-point guideline for the award and use of honorary doctorate degrees, saying the decision aligns with the provisions of the Education Act (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions), CAP E3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (2004), and its statutory responsibility.

“The commission has observed, with grave concern, the increasing incidence of indiscriminate conferment and misuse of Honorary Doctorate Degrees within the Nigerian University System,” the statement reads.

“In response to this development, the management of the commission has approved comprehensive guidelines for the award and use of honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria.

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“The guidelines are intended to regulate the conferment process, preserve academic integrity and safeguard the credibility of the Nigerian University System.”

The commission directed all Nigerian universities and other degree-awarding institutions to strictly adhere to the approved provisions, noting that the directive is consistent with the principles enshrined in the Keffi Declaration of 2012, to which all vice-chancellors are signatories.

It also noted that honorary doctorate degrees, whether awarded within Nigeria or abroad, are distinctions and should not be represented or regarded as equivalent to earned academic doctorates.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the commission reiterates that these guidelines have been issued to protect the sanctity, integrity and global reputation of the Nigerian university system,” the statement added.

“All stakeholders are therefore expected to comply fully with the laid-down procedures governing the conferment and use of Honorary Doctorate Degrees.

“Please note that appropriate regulatory sanctions shall be imposed on any institution found to have violated the NUC-approved Guidelines, as well as on individuals who misuse honorary titles.”

Below is the full list of the NUC-approved guidelines, as stipulated by the NUC:

1. Institutional eligibility: Only approved universities (either public or private) are eligible to award honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria.
2. Maturity requirement: Only universities that have graduated the first set of PhD students are eligible to award honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria.
3. Purpose of the award: The purpose of the award shall be to recognize exceptional and sustained contributions, reflect institutional values, and ensure diversity.
4. Criteria for the award: The criteria for the award shall be clear and transparent, with balanced representation across gender, race, nationality, and discipline to avoid conflicts of interest. All procedures for selecting and awarding honorary doctorate degrees shall be clearly stated on the official website of the awarding institution and made accessible.
5. Recipient eligibility: Self-nominated candidates and elected or appointed serving public officials are excluded.
6. Confidentiality: All aspects of the honorary doctorate degrees shall be treated with the highest level of confidentiality, and nominees shall only be contacted after their nominations have been approved by the Senate and Governing Council.
7. Award nomination: All nominations shall be processed by the statutory committee.
8. Approval: All nominations require University Senate and Governing Council approval.
9. Number of awards: The number of awards at each convocation shall not exceed three (3).
10. Nomenclature and title: All honorary doctorate degrees shall contain the nomenclature or title Honoris Causa. For example: Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa), D.Sc. (h.c.)
11. Conferment: Shall be in-person at the ceremony. In exceptional cases, the conferment may be done virtually or in absentia; it may be awarded posthumously.
12. No fee: Honorary doctorate degrees shall be conferred without any fee or expectation of payment from the recipient.
13. Usage: The recipients are at liberty to use the approved nomenclature or title of the honorary doctorate degree such as Doctor of Law (Honoris Causa) or LL.D. (h.c.); or letters (Honoris Causa) or D.Sc. (h.c.) after their names. However, they are not permitted to use “Dr.”, which is reserved for holders of earned degrees and medical professionals. Additionally, they are not permitted to use the honorary doctorate degree to practice as scholars or professionals, oversee administrative units, or supervise research work.
14. Orientation: All awarding universities shall provide both written and verbal orientation to recipients on how to use the award.
15. Publication of records: All universities shall regularly publish the names of honorary doctorate degree recipients on their official website and make it accessible to the public, in order to uphold transparency.
16. Revocation policy: All awarding universities shall provide a formal mechanism to rescind awards if a recipient is convicted of fraud, or has engaged in any unethical conduct that is inconsistent with the values of the awarding institution.