Following the persistence abuse of the use of the Prefix, ‘Dr’ the Federal Government has banned its use by honorary degree holders in official, academic or professional contexts.
Briefing Newsmen after a Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa noted that henceforth, individuals who receive honorary degrees will no longer be permitted to use the title ‘Dr’ before their names.
According to him, such honorary awardees are instead required to state the full honorary designation after their names.
“The recent trend we’ve seen with the award of honorary degrees has revealed a growing abuse and politicisation of this academic privilege.
“We’ve seen awards being used for political patronage, for financial gain, as well as the conferral of awards on serving public officials, which, as part of the ethics of honorary degree awards, should not happen,” he pointed out.
