Coalition of Academics, Professors Petitions NUC, Others over Illegal Use, Commercialisation of Academic Titles in Nigeria

Sunday Ehigiator

In a coordinated effort to safeguard the integrity of Nigerian academia, the Coalition of Academics and Professors for Qualified Use of Academic Titles (CAPQAT), led by Prof. Adeyemi Johnson Ademowo, has officially petitioned key government agencies, calling for urgent intervention against the rampant illegal use and commercialisation of academic titles such as “Dr.” and “Professor” in Nigeria.
The open petition, addressed to the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), the Minister of Education, Chairpersons of the House and Senate Committees on Education, the National Security Adviser (NSA), and the Inspector General of Police (IG), painted a disturbing picture of how the abuse of academic distinctions was eroding public trust in higher education institutions.
According to CAPQAT, Nigeria is witnessing an alarming proliferation of unqualified individuals adopting honorary and illegitimate academic titles.
The group noted that this practice ranges from recipients of honorary doctorates and graduates of unaccredited bible colleges, to holders of dubious doctoral degrees obtained from questionable foreign and professional institutions.
“Across Africa and other serious academic jurisdictions, the misuse of academic titles has been decisively outlawed or strictly regulated.
“Yet in Nigeria, this menace continues unchecked, abetted by diploma mills operating from neighbouring countries, unrecognised ‘professional institutions,’ and foreign universities that offer dubious doctorates,” the petitioners explained.

Highlighting the specific offenders, the petition cited the case of an unaccredited institution based in the Benin Republic, which was accused of running a lucrative business exploiting Nigeria’s lax enforcement of academic credential regulation.

According to the group, such entities reportedly market honorary doctorates with claims of conferring the legal right to use the “Dr.” title, further undermining academic standards.

The petitioners revealed that the commercialisation has extended to the use of the title “Professor.”

They cited an Abuja-based real estate agent who allegedly obtained a professorship label from an American university and now presents himself publicly as a “Professor of Entrepreneurship.”

The group described the use of the title as misleading and fraudulent.

CAPQAT disclosed that claims have been traced to others associating themselves with the so-called American University of Business and Social Sciences (AUBSS) and other unrecognised bodies.

CAPQAT emphasised that Nigeria’s legal framework already criminalises such abuses.

“Among relevant provisions are: The Criminal Code Act (Cap. C38, Section 463), which prescribes penalties including up to 14 years imprisonment or a N500,000 fine for falsification or misrepresentation of academic credentials; The National Universities Commission Act (1974), providing fines up to N1 million for misrepresentation of qualifications; The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria Act (1993), against unauthorized use of academic titles with penalties including imprisonment up to two years or fines of N200,000.

“The problem is not the absence of laws but the glaring absence of enforcement,” the group explained.

It called for immediate government action, including vigorous enforcement of existing laws against illegal use of academic titles, with prosecution of offenders; blacklisting and banning of dubious institutions from operating or associating with Nigerian citizens; public clarification that honorary doctorates, bible college degrees, and professional body “doctorates” do not confer the right to prefix “Dr.” to one’s name