PETITION ON THE ILLEGAL USE AND COMMERCIALIZATION OF ACADEMIC TITLES IN NIGERIA

To:

1. The Honourable Minister of Education
2. The Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC)
3. The Chairman, House Committee on Education
4. The Chairman, Senate Committee on Education
5. The National Security Adviser
6. The Inspector General of Police
7. National President, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU)

From:
Coalition of Academics and Professors for Qualified use of Academic Titles (CAPQAT)

Introduction

Nigeria’s academic integrity is under siege. The reckless commercialization and illegal use of academic titles, particularly “Dr.” and “Professor”, by unqualified individuals is eroding public trust in our institutions, mocking genuine scholars, and promoting fraud in the knowledge economy. This menace, if unchecked, poses a grave threat to the reputation of Nigerian academia and the sanctity of higher education.

Across Africa and beyond, serious nations have taken decisive action. Ghana, Uganda, Ethiopia, Germany, and others have outlawed or strongly restricted the misuse of honorary doctorate titles and academic designations. Yet, in Nigeria, the menace continues unchecked, aided by diploma mills, unaccredited Bible colleges, questionable “professional institutions,” and dubious foreign universities handing out so-called doctorates which recipients then misconstrue as licenses to prefix “Dr.” or parade themselves as “Prof.”

Disturbing Trends

• Illegal Use of the “Dr.” Title: Instances abound where recipients of honoris causa degrees, graduates of unaccredited Bible colleges, and individuals conferred with “doctorates” from unrecognized professional bodies now prefix “Dr.” before their names. Diploma mills abroad actively market such titles to Nigerians, who present them as earned academic credentials.
• Racketeering by Dubious Institutions: Entities such as “Prowess University” (Benin Republic) and other unaccredited institutions openly trade in honorary doctorates, shamelessly exploiting weak enforcement mechanisms while tarnishing Nigeria’s intellectual reputation.
• Commercialization of the “Professor” Title: Cases exist where individuals illegally assume the title “Professor” based on awards (of “Honorary Professorship) from dubious “universities” such as the so-called “American University of Business and Social Sciences (AUBSS)”, “Freedom University and Theological Seminary (African Campus, Abuja)”, dangerously misleading the public.

Relevant Legal Provisions in Nigeria

Nigeria has certain existing laws which can be reinforced through a bill to curb these abuses:

• Criminal Code Act (Cap. C38, S463): Criminalizes falsification or misrepresentation of academic credentials (penalty: up to 14 years imprisonment or ₦500,000 fine).
• NUC Act (1974): Proscribes misrepresentation of qualifications (penalty: up to ₦1 million fine).
• Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria Act (1993): Criminalizes unauthorized use of academic titles (penalty: up to 2 years imprisonment or ₦200,000 fine).

The issue is not absence of law, so to say, but absence of enforcement!

Global Perspectives

• Ghana: The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) criminalizes misuse of honorary titles with fines and sanctions.
• Uganda: The NCHE prescribes clear honorary labeling (e.g., LLD Hon. Causa), prohibiting unqualified use of “Dr.” or “Prof.”
• Ethiopia: Ministry of Education bars recipients of honorary doctorates from prefixing “Dr.” in public.
• Germany & Austria: Misuse of academic titles is a criminal offence; only Dr. h.c. is permitted.
• United Kingdom, US & Canada: Strong norms forbid misuse; honorary degrees are strictly ceremonial.

Need for Academic Integrity

Nigeria cannot afford to lag behind while others safeguard their intellectual spaces. Allowing individuals without academic research, dissertation defense, or scholarly contributions to bear “Dr.” or “Prof.” debases the achievements of genuine scholars and weakens the integrity of our higher education system.

Unchecked misuse dilutes the value of legitimate qualifications, confuses the public, and emboldens fraudulent institutions. Upholding academic integrity is therefore not merely symbolic—it is central to Nigeria’s credibility, governance, and global standing.

Our Requests

We, the undersigned under CAPQAT, respectfully call on the Federal Ministry of Education, National Universities Commission (NUC), and other relevant regulators to:

1. Ban the misuse of “Dr.” and “Prof.” titles by recipients of honorary degrees, unaccredited institutions, unaccredited Bible colleges (awarding “Dr.” indiscriminately), and foreign diploma mills.
2. Mandate clarity: Where honorary degrees are mentioned, recipients must use forms such as “LLD (Hon. Causa)” or “Dr (Hon. Causa),” but never “Dr.” or “Prof.” without qualification.
3. Sanction violations through fines, exposure of offenders, and withdrawal of institutional recognition for schools that commercialize or abuse honorary titles.
4. Blacklist and ban dubious institutions such as Prowess University and AUBSS from recognition in Nigeria.
5. Align with international best practices (as seen in Ghana, Uganda, Ethiopia, Germany, etc.) to protect Nigeria’s academic integrity.
6. Promote public awareness through universities, professional associations, and the media to educate citizens about the true nature of honorary awards.
7. Ensure that only NUC-accredited public and private universities (with Senate approval) can confer honorary doctorates. Foreign-conferred honorary doctorates must undergo NUC recognition to be accepted in Nigeria.
8. Institute a Joint Task Force involving the NUC, Ministry of Education, DSS, and Police to monitor and prosecute abuses of academic titles.

Conclusion

Every unqualified “Dr.” or fake “Professor” diminishes the sweat, rigour, and intellectual labour of those who have genuinely earned these distinctions. Titles are earned, not bought.

CAPQAT demands urgent and decisive action to end this menace. Let scapegoats be made of those mischievously deceiving the public with criminalized titles. Only through enforcement, sanctions, and public awareness can Nigeria reclaim the dignity of its higher education and safeguard its global intellectual standing.

Enough is enough!

We therefore demand urgent and decisive action.

Prof. Adeyemi Johnson Ademowo

Convener, CAPQAT
08121210824 | capqatsecretariat@gmail.com

Petition Signatories (Selected)

1. Dr. OROGBEMI Elias Olajide, fisn, fcaars, fipmld, mniia

2. Dr. OBELE Tolulope Elorhor, fcaars

3. Prof. NWAODU Nnamdi Okechukwu, DG-CAARS

4. Prof. AZEEZ Ademola

5. Prof. MASAJUWA Florence

6. Prof. VAASEH Godwin

7. Dr. IDOWU Oluwafemi Amos

8. Dr. BATURE Elizabeth

9. Dr. UKEH Moses

10. Prof. ADESANYA Olusegun Paul

11. Dr. ADE-IBIJOLA Opeyemi

12. Prof. OGBONNA Chijoke

13. Dr. ZAKARIYAU Rauf Babatunde

14. Dr. IGBAEKEME Goddy

15. Dr. FALOLA Ifeoluwa

16. Prof. ONI Julius Kayode

17. Dr BUSARI, Jamiu Muhammad

18. Prof. FAYOMI Oluyemi

19. Dr. IYANDA Kamoru Ahmed

20. Dr. ONAGUN Rasheed

21. Dr. AKAN Kevin Akpanke

22. Prof. ENUKA Chika

23. Prof. IKUEJUBE Ajigbade

24. Prof. ADEREMI Adewale

25. Prof. SANI Habeeb Abiodun

26. Prof. UMUKORO Nathaniel

27. Prof. JATAU Gaius

28. Prof. ASHAFA Abdullahi Musa

29. Dr. AKPAN James

30. Prof. GORONDUTSE Abdullahi

31. Prof. SAYE Suleiman

32. Prof Toba Bamitale

33. Dr Noah BALOGUN

34. Prof Olusola Oyewole, Secretary General, AAU

35. Prof Saheed Aderinto

36. Dr Esther Ololajulo

37. Maryam Muktar

38. Dr Olufemi Oloba

39. Dr Ibraheem Salako

40. Dr BUSARI JAMIU MUHAMMAD

41. Philip Soyemi

42. Lanre Biobaku

43. saka adebayo

44. Sulaiman Alagunfon PhD

45. Dr. Iwuagwu Chinonso Chiamaka

46. Dauda Aderemi Busari

47. Adegoke Olukayode Adepoju

48. Taiwo Peter AJAYI PhD

49. Rhoda Adinoyi

50. Seun Williams

51. Busayo Fabunmi

52. Oba Oyedele

53. Anbali Rasheed

54. Olaolu Oluwasanmi

55. Sunday Jijiya Bwala

56. Dr. Victor Olaoye'

57. Dr. Nasir Danladi Bako, OON

58. Dr. Ejemezu Charles Ikechukwu

59. Prof. Ademola Akinyoade

60. ORIASOCHIE OFORGHOR

61. Moses Ukeh

62. Taiwo Peter AJAYI PhD

63. Dr Jimoh Charles Adefikayo

64. Umar Musa

65. Prof Oladejo Olowu

66. Eyinade Gbadesire

67. Prof Elizabeth Ojo

68. Dr Jimoh Mufutau Oluwasegun

69. Adewale Ademowo

70. Udoka Peace Ossaig

71. Pastor Prof A Akan Bassey

72. Prof ojua takim asu