No More Fake “Dr.”: Nigeria Clamps Down on Honorary Doctorate Titles

The federal government’s new directive banning honorary doctorate recipients from using “Dr.” is long overdue. It confronts Nigeria’s epidemic of bought titles that mask the poverty of true scholarship. For years, universities have awarded honorary PhDs as rewards for political patronage and stolen public funds. This practice turns shallow vanity into institutional fraud and devalues real academic achievement. The Minister of Education and the National Universities Commission now back clear guidelines. Honorary degree holders may use proper post-nominal letters but must drop the “Dr.” prefix. Proposed enforcement measures include a national registry, pre-clearance for awards, public “name-and-shame” lists, and media style rules. Strong enforcement is the next step. Without legal teeth and public exposure, vanity doctors will continue to swagger through public life. It’s time to protect the integrity of Nigerian scholarship.

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