The Federal government has actually disallowed receivers of honorary degrees from using the “Dr” title in any authorities, academic, or professional context, describing such usage as a misrepresentation of scholastic qualifications.
The directive was announced on Wednesday by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, throughout an instruction with State House correspondents at the Presidential Rental Property, Abuja.
Alausa said the new measure, authorized by the Federal Executive Council, presents a standardised policy governing the award and usage of honorary degrees throughout Nigerian universities.
According to him, the decision intends to resolve longstanding issues over the misuse and politicisation of honorary academic titles, which he stated have actually increasingly been provided for reasons unassociated to benefit.
He noted that under the modified policy, individuals awarded honorary degrees are no longer permitted to attach the “Dr” prefix to their names. Rather, they are required to suggest the honorary nature of the award after their names using proper designations.
For instance, receivers might embrace formats such as “Chief Louis Clark, D.Lit. (Honoris Causa)” or “Mrs Miriam Adamu, LL.D. Hons.,” to plainly distinguish honorary titles from made academic certifications.
Alausa stressed that providing an honorary degree as a made doctorate would now be classified as scholastic scams, drawing in both legal and reputational effects.
He added that the policy limits the types of honorary degrees that can be awarded to four categories: Doctor of Laws (LL.D), Doctor of Letters (D.Lit), Medical Professional of Science (D.Sc), and Doctor of Liberal Arts (D.Arts).
In addition, universities without active doctoral programmes have actually been restricted from providing honorary degrees. The minister stated this arrangement is planned to curb the trend of reasonably brand-new organizations awarding such honours in spite of doing not have postgraduate research study capability.
The government likewise mandated that all honorary degrees should explicitly include the terms “honorary” or “Honoris Causa” on certificates and in official recommendations.
Alausa, who appeared alongside the Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Ahmad, said the brand-new structure is developed to bring back trustworthiness to academic honours and avoid their exploitation for political or monetary purposes.
Issues over the commercialisation of honorary degrees have continued within Nigeria’s academic community for many years, with critics implicating institutions of granting them to rich individuals and public office holders in exchange for patronage.
Read also:
NUC concerns 16 guidelines on honorary doctorates
NUC reveals new guidelines governing award and use of honorary doctorate degrees
An earlier effort to control the practice by the Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities in 2012, called the Keffi Statement, lacked legal support and was largely inadequate.
Alausa explained that the current policy, having actually received approval from the Federal Executive Council, now brings the essential legal authority for enforcement.
He said the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission will flow the instruction to university administrators, including vice-chancellors and governing councils.
The minister even more revealed that convocation events will be kept an eye on to guarantee compliance, while collaboration with the media will assist dissuade the misuse of honorary titles in public reporting.
He included that the government prepares to release an annual list of genuine honorary degree receivers as part of efforts to secure the integrity of academic qualifications.