A mild debate broke out on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday following concerns over the public use of honorary academic titles by lawmakers.
The issue was raised by Awaji-Inombek Abiante (PDP, Rivers) under a matter of personal explanation during plenary, where he urged the House to clearly distinguish between honorary degrees and doctoral degrees obtained through formal academic labour.
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Mr Abiante’s intervention followed an announcement earlier made by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, who informed the House of an honorary doctorate conferred on the Deputy Majority Leader, Abdullahi Halims (APC, Kogi), by the Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba, Kogi State.
While congratulatory announcements of this nature are customary during plenary, Mr Abiante cautioned against allowing honorary awards to be treated on the same footing as academic doctorates obtained through years of scholarly work.
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“We should have a clear distinction between honorary degrees and a doctor of philosophy. They are two different things,” Mr Abiante said.
He noted that some members deliberately avoid adopting the ‘Doctor’ title despite holding earned degrees, out of respect for academic integrity.
“That is why some of us, when we stand up, do not introduce ourselves as Doctor this or Doctor that. I will not sacrifice my labour in the academic environment for someone who just got honoured,” he added.
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According to him, the National Assembly, as a symbol of national leadership, must uphold standards that promote merit and excellence.
“This is an environment that should elevate the best of the best,” he said.
Speaker Abbas Tajudeen had earlier opened the session before the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, later took over presiding duties.
Reacting to Mr Abiante’s concerns, Mr Kalu acknowledged the sensitivity of the issue and ruled that the House Committee on Rules and Business should examine the matter.
He consequently directed the committee to review existing parliamentary practices and make recommendations on how the House should formally distinguish between honorary doctorates and earned doctoral degrees in its proceedings and official records.
NUC policy
The debate in the chamber comes amid a recent policy directive by the National Universities Commission (NUC) aimed at curbing the misuse of honorary doctorate degrees nationwide.
In November 2025, the NUC announced a ban on the conferment of honorary doctorates on serving public officials, including politicians and appointed officeholders, as part of broader measures to safeguard academic standards and public trust in higher education.
Abdullahi Ribadu, a representative of the commission, disclosed that it also intends to take action against over 30 institutions, both local and foreign, found to be involved in the racketeering of honorary degrees. These include unaccredited universities and other bodies facilitating the illegitimate use of such prestigious titles.
According to Mr Ribadu, honorary awards, designed to recognise exceptional service or achievement, are increasingly being misappropriated by recipients.
“More troubling,” he noted, “is that some local and foreign institutions are conferring these honours without merit, oversight, or legitimacy.
“This is the policy agreed upon by vice-chancellors of Nigerian universities to regulate the award of honorary doctorate degrees,” Mr Ribadu said.
He outlined that recipients are free to use the full formal designation, such as Doctor of Literature (Honoris Causa) or D. Litt. (h.c.), at the end of their names. However, they must not use the title “Dr,” which is reserved for holders of earned doctoral degrees or medical professionals.
The NUC official further warned that adopting the “Dr” prefix based on an honorary degree without clarification constitutes false representation and may attract sanctions under Nigeria’s fraud-related laws.
The commission emphasised that the authority to award honorary degrees rests solely with approved Nigerian universities, as provided under the Education (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions) Act, Chapter E2, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, L.F.N. 2004.
Honorary doctorate vs earned doctorate
An honorary doctorate is an academic award conferred by a university or institution to recognise an individual’s contributions to society, public service, philanthropy, leadership or other fields.
It is typically awarded without the recipient undergoing formal academic study, research or examinations. Honorary degrees are symbolic and celebratory.
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However, an earned doctorate, such as a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or professional doctorate, is obtained through rigorous academic processes. These usually include years of coursework, original research, the submission of a thesis or dissertation, and a formal defence before academic experts. Earned doctorates signify scholarly achievement and academic competence in a specific field.
In many academic and professional settings, it is considered improper for recipients of honorary doctorates to publicly adopt the ‘Dr’ title, particularly in formal or official contexts, as this may misrepresent academic credentials.
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