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NUC issues new rules on honorary doctorates
The guidelines limit honorary awards to a maximum of three recipients per convocation and require that the degrees carry the designation “Honoris Causa,” such as Doctor of Science (D.Sc. h.c.) or Doctor of Law (LL.D. h.c.).
The National Universities Commission (NUC) on Thursday, released fresh guidelines regulating the award and use of honorary doctorate degrees in Nigeria.
Honorary doctorate degrees are non-earned distinctions granted honoris causa to recognise distinguished merit, public service, scholarly impact, creative achievement or other significant contributions aligned with the values of the awarding institution.
In a public notice shared on its official X page, the Commission found widespread misuse of honorary degrees, with 32 entities among 61 institutions and professional bodies identified as operating as honorary degree mills — including unaccredited foreign universities, unlicensed local institutions and organisations without degree-awarding powers. Some were also found issuing fake professorships.
Consequently, the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, said that the new guidelines were developed in line with established academic traditions and resolutions of the Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, including the Keffi Declaration of 2012, alongside inputs from universities submitted in December 2025.
NUC said that the new rules are designed to standardise the conferment process, protect academic integrity and safeguard the credibility and global reputation of Nigeria’s university system. Universities and other degree-awarding institutions were directed to strictly comply, with sanctions promised for violations.
Under the new rules, only approved universities that have graduated their first set of PhD students are eligible to award honorary doctorates. The purpose, criteria and selection procedures must be clearly defined and publicly accessible, while nominations must pass through statutory committees and receive approval from both the University Senate and Governing Council.
The guidelines limit honorary awards to a maximum of three recipients per convocation and require that the degrees carry the designation “Honoris Causa,” such as Doctor of Science (D.Sc. h.c.) or Doctor of Law (LL.D. h.c.).
Awards must be conferred in person, except in exceptional circumstances where they may be given virtually, in absentia or posthumously.
The Commission stressed that honorary doctorates must be granted free of charge and recipients must not present the honour as an earned academic qualification.
NUC specifically warned that recipients cannot use the “Dr.” — which is reserved for holders of earned doctoral or medical degrees — nor use the award to supervise research, practise as scholars or manage academic units.
Universities are also required to provide recipients with orientation on the proper use of the honour, publish lists of awardees on their websites to promote transparency and establish clear mechanisms for revoking awards if recipients are convicted of fraud or engage in unethical conduct.
The NUC said all eligible universities must comply strictly with the framework, reiterating that regulatory sanctions will apply to institutions that confer honorary doctorates in breach of the new guidelines.
News
NLC President Joe Ajaero wins Arthur Svensson International award for worker’s rights
Speaking at the award ceremony in Oslo, Norway, yesterday , Ajaero said that the honour was not a personal achievement but recognition of the struggles of workers across Nigeria.
•Joe Ajaero
President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has been honoured as the 2026 laureate of the Arthur Svensson International Award for his courage and commitment to defending workers’ rights.
The award is presented to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strategic acumen and an unwavering commitment to defending workers’ rights and trade union freedoms worldwide.
Speaking at the award ceremony in Oslo, Norway, yesterday , Ajaero said that the honour was not a personal achievement but recognition of the struggles of workers across Nigeria.
“I stand before you today not as a man, but as a symbol, a true symbol of millions of Nigerian workers who wake up every morning not just to the smell of tear gas, the sound of sirens, and the cold silence of a state that preys on its own people but who go to work hungry and come back hungrier more emasculated than before they left for work,” he said.
News
Commotion In National Assembly Over Fire Outbreak
It took the swift intervention of senator Asuquo Ekpenyong from Cross River South and Senator Salihu Mustapha to quench the fire building up in the kitchen compartment of the Senate hearing room 107.
Image: National Assembly, Abuja
A fire outbreak in the Senate wing of the National Assembly was quickly put out on Wednesday; stopping it from spreading any further.
It took the swift intervention of senator Asuquo Ekpenyong from Cross River South and Senator Salihu Mustapha to quench the fire building up in the kitchen compartment of the Senate hearing room 107.
The Senate Committee on Niger -Delta Development Commission, NDCC chaired by Senator Ekpenyong had just concluded the screening exercise of Dr. Zainab Marwa as the member representing, Northeast on the board of the commission when smoke from the fire rapidly covered the scene of incident.
It was subsequently gathered that the fire emanated from a micro-wave left on in the kitchen.
In the brief commotion; Senator Ekpenyong’s swift intervention ensured that the fire was quickly put out.SOT
News
President Tinubu Commissions new EFCC office in Ekiti
Earlier, EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede described the commissioning of the Ekiti Zonal Directorate as a landmark development that would enhance the Commission’s presence and effectiveness in the region.
• EFCC Ekiti Office commission by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Tuesday, June 9, 2026.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commissioned the new Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Zonal Directorate office in Ado-Ekiti.
Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the commissioning ceremony on Tuesday, President Tinubu said that the state-of-the-art facility reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening institutions responsible for fighting corruption and economic crimes.
The President commended EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, as well as the management and staff of the Commission for their efforts in enhancing the agency’s operational capacity and expanding its reach across the country.
According to him, the new office will improve the Commission’s effectiveness in tackling corruption, financial crimes and related offences, while bringing anti-graft operations closer to the people of Ekiti and Ondo States.
Earlier, EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede described the commissioning of the Ekiti Zonal Directorate as a landmark development that would enhance the Commission’s presence and effectiveness in the region.
He noted that the facility would help close operational gaps in the Commission’s coverage of Ekiti and Ondo States while improving engagement with local communities in the fight against corruption.
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