The Federal Government has prohibited recipients of honorary degrees from using the "Dr" title, in a move to curb the misuse of academic honours.
Minister of Education Tunji Alausa announced the decision on Wednesday at a media briefing in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, following a Federal Executive Council meeting held on 30 April.
Alausa said the measure was aimed at ending what he described as decades of indiscriminate conferment of degrees for political patronage and financial gain.
He stated that the trend had led to awards being granted to serving public officials, which contravenes the ethics of honorary degree awards.
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"The recent trend we’ve seen has revealed a growing abuse and politicisation of this academic privilege.
"We’ve seen awards being used for political patronage, for financial gain," he said.
Universities that breach the directive will face sanctions, the minister added.
Vice Chancellors have been instructed to streamline the process, and institutions will now require approval from the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) before conferring honorary degrees.
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