06/05/2026
FG Bans Use of โDrโ Title by Honorary Degree Holders, Issues Sanctions Warning
The Federal Government has formally prohibited recipients of honorary degrees from using the title โDrโ in any official, academic, or professional capacity, warning that violations will attract both legal and reputational consequences.
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, announced the directive on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja while briefing State House correspondents on resolutions approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC). He appeared alongside the Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Ahmad.
According to Alausa, the Council has approved a uniform policy to regulate both the award and usage of honorary degrees across Nigerian universities. He explained that the decision was necessitated by the increasing abuse and politicisation of honorary awards.
He noted that honorary degrees have, in recent times, been used for political patronage and financial gain, with some awards conferred on serving public officialsโan action he described as contrary to the ethical standards governing such recognitions.
Under the new policy, recipients of honorary degrees must clearly indicate the nature of their award after their names instead of using the โDrโ prefix. For example, titles such as Chief Louis Clark, D.Lit. (Honoris Causa) or Mrs Miriam Adamu, LL.D (Hons.) are considered acceptable.
Alausa emphasized that presenting an honorary degree as an earned academic qualification will be treated as academic fraud and will attract appropriate sanctions.
The policy also standardizes the categories of honorary degrees that Nigerian universities are permitted to award. These are limited to:
Doctor of Laws (LL.D)
Doctor of Letters (D.Lit)
Doctor of Science (D.Sc)
Doctor of Humanities (D.Arts)