NUC honorary doctorate guidelines
The National Universities Commission (NUC) has published comprehensive guidelines on honorary doctorates aimed at curbing the indiscriminate award, misuse and public misrepresentation of such degrees across Nigerian universities. The move comes after investigations uncovered widespread abuse of honorary doctorate awards and institutions operating as honorary degree mills, prompting the regulator to step in to protect academic integrity. 
The new guidelines set out clear rules on who can award honorary doctorates, who can receive them, how they should be conferred and how they should be publicly represented. They are designed to strengthen credibility, enhance transparency, and align Nigeria’s higher education system with international academic norms. 
Below is a detailed look at what Nigeria’s new NUC honorary doctorate guidelines entail, how they came about and why they matter. 
What prompted the new NUC honorary doctorate guidelines
The NUC said it developed the guidelines in response to rising cases of misuse and improper conferment of honorary doctorate degrees in the Nigerian University System. The Commission cited “indiscriminate conferment and misuse” of the awards as a threat to academic standards, institutional credibility and public trust in Nigeria’s universities. 
An earlier investigation found 32 entities operating as honorary degree mills, including unaccredited foreign universities, unlicensed local institutions and professional bodies with no degree-awarding powers. Some were even implicated in issuing fake professorships. 
These findings were part of a broader review resulting in the issuance of the NUC honorary doctorate guidelines to ensure that honorary doctorates are awarded with due process and integrity. 
Honorary doctorates in Nigeria — what they are and what they are not
Honourary doctorates are academic awards conferred honoris causa (“for the sake of honour”) to recognise exceptional public service, outstanding professional achievements, scholarly impact or significant contributions to society. 
The NUC emphasised that honorary doctorates are not equivalent to earned doctoral degrees such as PhDs or professional medical doctorates. Recipients are not entitled to use the title “Dr.” in the same manner as holders of graduate-level degrees. 
This clarification is central to the NUC honorary doctorate guidelines, which aim to prevent confusion between honorary distinctions and academic qualifications that require formal study and research. 
Full list of the NUC honorary doctorate guidelines
The document released by the Commission outlines the following key provisions regulating the award and use of honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria: 
- Institutional eligibility
Only approved universities (public or private) may award honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria. 
- Maturity requirement
Universities must have graduating PhD students before being eligible to confer honorary doctorates. 
- Purpose of the award
The award must recognise exceptional and sustained contributions or reflect institutional values; it must also promote diversity. 
- Criteria for the award
Clear, transparent criteria must be published on the awarding institution’s website, and balanced representation across gender, race, nationality and discipline must be ensured. 
- Recipient eligibility
Self-nominated candidates and elected or appointed public officials currently in office are excluded. 
- Confidentiality
Nomination details must be confidential until approved by both Senate and Governing Council. 
- Award nomination process
Nominations must be processed by a statutory committee. 
- Approval
All honorary doctorate awards require University Senate and Governing Council approval. 
- Number of awards
No more than three honorary doctorates may be conferred at any single convocation. 
- Nomenclature and title
Degrees must carry “Honoris Causa” suffixes (e.g., D.Sc. (h.c.)). 
- Conferment
Ceremonial conferment must be in person; virtual or in-absentia presentations are allowed only in exceptional cases, and posthumous awards are permitted. 
- No fee
Honorary doctorate degrees must be conferred without fee or expectation of payment. 
- Usage of nomenclature
Recipients may use approved titles (e.g., Doctor of Law (Honoris Causa)) after their names, but may not use the title “Dr.” reserved for academic and medical doctorate holders. 
- Orientation
Awarding institutions must provide recipients with written and verbal orientation on appropriate use of the award. 
- Publication of records
Universities must publish lists of honorary doctorate recipients on their official websites. 
- Revocation policy
A formal mechanism must exist to rescind awards if a recipient is convicted of fraud or engages in conduct contrary to the values of the awarding institution.
https://ogelenews.ng/nuc-honorary-doctorate-guidelines
Why the NUC honorary doctorate guidelines matter
The rollout of these regulations is a significant step in restoring trust in Nigeria’s higher education system. It will help ensure that honorary degrees are awarded transparently and with integrity, and that recipients do not misuse academic titles for professional advantage or public deception. 
The guidelines also align Nigeria’s academic practices with global standards, requiring rigorous documentation, eligibility checks, and ethical oversight that were previously lacking. 
By restricting the award—and especially usage—of honorary titles, the Commission hopes to discourage degree-mill operations and prevent the proliferation of unearned academic honours that dilute the value of higher education credentials. 
Constitutional and legal basis
The NUC issued the honorary doctorate guidelines under its authority from the Education (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions) Act, CAP E3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, which empowers it to regulate university standards, quality assurance and award practices nationwide. 
This legal grounding gives the guidelines enforceability, meaning institutions that violate them could face regulatory sanctions. 
What comes next
All Nigerian universities must now implement the guidelines ahead of convocations and honorary award ceremonies in 2026. Compliance monitoring by the NUC will include auditing nomination processes, documentation checks, and publication reviews. 
Institutions found violating the regulations risk sanctions, including withdrawal of degree-awarding powers or other regulatory actions. 
https://punchng.com/full-list-nuc-releases-guidelines-on-honorary-doctorates
NUC honorary doctorate guidelines
