Federal Government has directed recipients of honorary doctorate degrees to stop using the title “Dr.” before their names, as part of efforts to protect the integrity of academic qualifications and curb the misuse of honorary awards.

Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa

Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, announced the directive after the approval of the new policy by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

Alausa said the measure was necessary to address the growing abuse, commercialisation and politicisation of honorary degrees in some tertiary institutions across the country.

He explained that honorary doctorates are symbolic recognitions of outstanding contributions to society and do not equate to earned academic qualifications obtained through rigorous study, research and examination.

“Recipients of honorary doctorate degrees are not entitled to use the title ‘Dr.’ as a prefix to their names in official, professional or academic engagements,” he said.

According to the minister, awardees may instead indicate the honorary distinction after their names using formats such as D.Litt (Honoris Causa), LL.D (Honoris Causa) or other approved honorary designations.

Under the revised policy, only universities with active doctoral programmes will be permitted to confer honorary doctorate awards.

The government also restricted recognised honorary awards to four categories: Doctor of Laws (LL.D), Doctor of Letters (D.Litt), Doctor of Science (D.Sc), and Doctor of Humanities (D.Arts).

In addition, all honorary degree certificates must clearly carry inscriptions such as “Honorary” or “Honoris Causa” to distinguish them from earned academic degrees.

The minister warned universities against indiscriminate conferment of honorary degrees, noting that institutions found violating the directive would face sanctions from the National Universities Commission and the Federal Ministry of Education.

He said the policy was part of broader reforms aimed at restoring credibility to Nigeria’s higher education system and ensuring academic titles are not misrepresented for personal, political or financial gains.

Observers say the development could reshape the long-standing culture where public office holders, business executives and celebrities often adopt the “Dr.” title after receiving honorary awards.

African fintech revenues are projected to expand 13-fold to approximately $65 billion by 2030, marking the continent as the world’s fastest-growing digital finance market.

The “Beyond Payments: Unlocking Africa’s Second FinTech Wave ” report, released by Boston Consulting Group at the Inclusive FinTech Forum in Kigali, indicates the sector is shifting from transactional inclusion to scalable, infrastructure-driven systems.

While Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 74% of global mobile money volume, more than 50% of lending still occurs through informal channels, representing a massive gap for B2B payments and data-driven underwriting.

The opportunity now is to convert scale into sustained, institutional-grade growth, says the report. Markets offering regulatory clarity and interoperable infrastructure are becoming increasingly attractive to long-term capital.

Rwanda is highlighted as an example of deliberate institutional coordination that lowers the cost to scale for financial institutions.

Forward-looking regulation and the License Passporting Memorandum of Understanding between Rwanda and Kenya are cited as practical steps toward easing regional expansion.

Financial centres like the Kigali International Financial Centre play a critical role in this next phase by reducing uncertainty for banks and investors.

By combining regulatory clarity and Pan-African integration, they reduce uncertainty for banks, fintechs, and investors, and help position markets as credible, long-term investment destinations.

Africa’s next fintech phase will be led by financial institutions, the report notes. It goes on to say banks and regulated entities are becoming the primary customers of digital financial infrastructure, demanding platforms that align with their risk frameworks.

The report identifies five institutional priorities to sustain momentum: interoperable infrastructure, data-driven credit, regulatory coherence, trust, and resilience.

Building seamless wallet-to-bank integration will enable more efficient value movement, while transforming transaction data into AI-enabled underwriting models will help bridge the gap in SME lending.

Proportional licensing frameworks and predictable supervisory practices will lower the cost to scale for innovators. Furthermore, expanding cybersecurity capabilities will ensure the ecosystem remains reliable as digital usage grows.

Africa has demonstrated that fintech scale is achievable, and the next decade will be shaped by those markets that strengthen their institutional foundations, the report concludes.

For too long, the story of Nigeria has been told by foreigners or shaped by people who don’t truly understand our spirit; This Is Nigeria is a movement changing that. We are putting the power back into the hands of Nigerians to tell our stories from our perspectives.

Our mission is simple: to change how the world sees us by sharing the positive, impactful stories of our land and its people.

Today, we are officially launching “The 36: Nigeria Unscripted”. This series will travel through every single state in the country, starting with our pilot season in Lagos. We want to show the world the true drive, food, diversity, culture, and innovation that define Nigerians at home.

“The 36: Nigeria Unscripted” takes a deep dive into the history, people, landmarks, and investment potential that make each state unique. Instead of focusing on the usual headlines, we are highlighting the real people building businesses, creating new technologies, making scientific breakthroughs, and leading cultural shifts here and across the globe.

The Kick-Off

The journey begins in Lagos. Over the next two weeks, our crew will be on the streets filming the vibrant energy of the city. This is a “boots-on-the-ground” look at what Nigerian innovation actually looks like today.

Alongside the series, we are also launching a Global Desk. This is a dedicated space to find and share stories of Nigerians living abroad who are making us proud with that signature Nigerian excellence.

How We Are Different

Most Nigerian travel content usually falls into two categories: it’s either a refined ad that ignores reality, or it focuses only on struggle while ignoring achievements.

This Is Nigeria rejects both. Our campaign gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the real passion and effort that fuel our success.

For more information or to share your story, visit www.thisis-nigeria.com.