Nationwide petition raises alarm over alleged illegal use, commercialisation of academic titles

By Osa Mbonu-Amadi, Arts Editor

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 Ademowo, has officially petitioned key government agencies, calling for urgent intervention against alleged illegal use and commercialisation of academic titles such as “Dr.” and “Professor.”

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, and the Inspector General of Police, paints a disturbing picture of how the abuse of academic distinctions is 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. 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,” the petition states. “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.”

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

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

Moreover, the petition reveals that the commercialisation has extended to the use of the title “Professor.” Of note is 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,” a move deemed misleading and fraudulent. Similar 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 emphasises 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 ?500,000 fine for falsification or misrepresentation of academic credentials; The National Universities Commission Act (1974), providing fines up to ?1 million for misrepresentation of qualifications; The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria Act (1993), against unauthoried use of academic titles with penalties including imprisonment up to two years or fines of ?200,000.

“The problem is not the absence of laws but the glaring absence of enforcement,” Prof. Ademowo stressed in the petition, calling 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.

Other requested government actions include launching of a nationwide awareness campaign to educate the public and media on the proper use of academic titles, and the establishment of a joint task force involving the NUC, Ministry of Education, Department of State Services, and the Nigeria Police Force to monitor and prosecute academic title fraud.

The petition concludes with a stern warning: “Every unqualified ‘Dr.’ or fake ‘Professor’ diminishes the sweat, rigor, and intellectual labour of those who have genuinely earned these distinctions.” The coalition urges the authorities to act decisively to stem the tide of academic fraud before Nigeria’s higher education system suffers irreparable damage.

As Nigerian policymakers deliberate on this urgent matter, the country’s academic community and the public watch closely, hopeful that reforms and enforcement will restore the sanctity of Nigeria’s scholastic titles.

Vanguard, through this reporter, spoke directly with Prof. Adeyemi Johnson Ademowo, Convener, CAPQAT, who confirmed all the content of the petition, but admitted that the petition is yet to be delivered to the above-listed recipients as at the time of the chat.

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