The Federal Government has announced that recipients of honorary degrees will no longer be permitted to prefix their names with the title “Dr,” in a move aimed at preserving the integrity of academic distinctions in Nigeria.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Wednesday during a media briefing at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
He explained that the decision followed deliberations at a Federal Executive Council meeting held on April 30.
According to the minister, the directive was introduced after concerns over the increasing and often indiscriminate conferment of honorary degrees, which he said has blurred the line between earned academic qualifications and honorary recognitions.
He noted that the policy is intended to curb the misuse of such honours for political patronage and financial gain, stressing that while honorary degrees will still be awarded, they are to remain symbolic and not used as formal academic titles.