By our Reporter
The National Universities Commission has released new guidelines regulating the award and use of honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria, citing growing concerns over their indiscriminate conferment and misuse.
In a public notice issued pursuant to the Education Act (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions), CAP E3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, the Commission said the move is part of its statutory responsibility to ensure the orderly development of university education in the country.
The Commission expressed grave concern about what it described as the increasing incidence of the indiscriminate award and misuse of honorary doctorate degrees within the Nigerian University System. Consequently, its management has approved comprehensive Guidelines for the Award and Use of Honorary Doctorate Degrees in Nigeria.
According to the NUC, the guidelines are designed to regulate the conferment process, preserve academic integrity, and safeguard the credibility of the Nigerian University System.
All Nigerian universities and other degree-awarding institutions have been directed to strictly comply with the newly approved guidelines. The directive, the Commission noted, aligns with the principles of the Keffi Declaration, to which all Vice-Chancellors were signatories.
The Commission also reminded the public that honorary doctorate degrees, whether awarded by institutions within or outside Nigeria, are honorary distinctions and should not be represented or regarded as equivalent to earned academic doctorate qualifications.
It warned that appropriate regulatory sanctions would be imposed on any institution found to have violated the guidelines, as well as on individuals who misuse honorary titles.
The NUC reiterated that the guidelines were issued to protect the sanctity, integrity, and global reputation of the Nigerian University System, and urged all stakeholders to comply fully with the laid-down procedures.
