NUC Targets 32 Fake Degree Sellers in Major Crackdown

The Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) has launched a significant offensive against academic fraud, revealing that it has uncovered 32 fake entities operating within Nigeria that are illicitly selling honorary doctorate degrees. This announcement precedes an imminent nationwide clampdown designed to restore the integrity of the nation’s academic qualifications.

The commission has issued a stern warning to all legitimate universities regarding the “growing abuse” of honorary doctorate degrees, which are increasingly being commercialized and misused by illegal institutions.

In a comprehensive statement, the NUC’s Executive Secretary, Professor Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, described the situation as a “matter of growing national concern,” noting that these degrees, intended to celebrate exceptional achievements, are being peddled by illegal “degree mills” across the country.

The NUC-led investigation conducted by the commission provided a detailed breakdown of the fraudulent ecosystem. The probe uncovered 10 unaccredited foreign universities, 4 unlicensed local universities, and 15 professional bodies that lack any degree-awarding powers.

Furthermore, the investigation identified 3 non-degree-awarding institutions all currently engaged in the practice of conferring honorary doctorate degrees for profit.

Professor Ribadu expressed serious alarm over the extent of the fraud, noting that some of these unscrupulous organizations are also conferring fake professorships, further compounding the threat to the nation’s academic credibility.

He reserved strong condemnation for the growing number of recipients who exploit these honorary awards to falsely present themselves to the public as genuine PhD holders, a practice he deemed both unethical and punishable under Nigerian fraud-related laws.

“Using the title ‘Dr’ based on an honorary degree without clarification amounts to false representation,” he stressed, warning that this pervasive trend “threatens the integrity of our universities and diminishes public trust in genuine academic qualifications.”

The NUC boss also voiced concern over the widespread disregard for the Keffi Declaration of 2012. This agreement, binding on Nigerian vice-chancellors, expressly forbids universities from awarding honorary degrees to serving public officials and bars recipients from using the “Dr” title.

Reaffirming the NUC’s regulatory authority, derived from the Education (National Minimum Standards) Act, Professor Ribadu clarified that only legally approved public or private universities are authorized to award honorary doctorates in Nigeria.

Even when legitimately awarded, the NUC specified stringent limitations on usage. Recipients must restrict their nomenclature to formats such as Doctor of Literature (Honoris Causa) or the title D.Litt. (h.c.) placed after their names.

Crucially, they are strictly prohibited from using the title “Dr” as a professional or academic designation, or from using the award to supervise research, practice as scholars or professionals, or hold administrative academic roles. This restriction ensures the title is purely honorific, not professional.

The Executive Secretary disclosed that the NUC has finalized a new, comprehensive national guideline governing the award and use of honorary doctorate degrees. This guideline is set for imminent publication.

Once the new rules are in force, the commission has vowed to initiate an aggressive, collaborative clampdown with law enforcement agencies and other relevant government bodies on both illegal degree mills and individuals who misuse the honorary titles.

Professor Ribadu appealed to all stakeholders, including the public and security agencies, to lend their support to this renewed effort to “restore honour to honorary degrees” and defend the dignity of Nigeria’s institutions of higher education.

He emphasized the legal basis of the NUC’s actions, asserting its statutory power to regulate the award and use of honorary doctorate degrees under the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, making the crackdown both legitimate and inevitable.