NUC Prohibits Honorary Degrees for Serving Public Officials

The Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) has issued new guidelines that prohibit universities from awarding honorary doctorate degrees to serving public officials. This directive was communicated in a letter dated February 24, signed by Adewale Bakar, the Acting Director of the Executive Secretary's office.

The guidelines emphasize that universities must not award honorary degrees to individuals who are self-elected or appointed as public officials. Furthermore, the guidelines require universities to regularly publish the names of honorary degree recipients on their official websites.

This initiative aims to safeguard the integrity of the university system and standardize the procedures for conferring honorary degrees, addressing the growing concerns over the misuse and abuse of such awards. The guidelines were first developed in September 2025 and circulated to universities for input in December.

The NUC has mandated strict compliance with these guidelines to ensure that the conferment of honorary degrees is managed appropriately.