OPEN PETITION: Professors Demand End to Misuse of Academic Titles in Nigeria

To:

The Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC)

The Honourable Minister of Education

The Chairman, House Committee on Education

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Education

The National Security Adviser

The Inspector General of Police

From:

Coalition of Academics and Professors for Qualified Use of Academic Titles (CAPQAT)

Convener: Prof. Adeyemi Johnson Ademowo

Nigeria’s academic integrity is under severe threat. The reckless commercialization and illegal use of academic titles, especially “Dr.” and “Professor”—by unqualified individuals is eroding public trust, mocking genuine scholars, and encouraging fraud within the knowledge economy.

If this menace remains unchecked, it will not only tarnish Nigeria’s academic reputation but also undermine the sanctity of higher education.

Countries such as Ghana, Ethiopia, India, and Uganda have already outlawed or strictly regulated the misuse of honorary doctorates and academic designations. Unfortunately, in Nigeria, the practice thrives, driven by diploma mills, unregulated bible colleges, dubious “professional institutions,” and questionable foreign universities that distribute fraudulent degrees.

Disturbing Trends

1. Misuse of the “Dr.” Title

Recipients of honoris causa degrees, bible college graduates, and holders of unrecognized “doctorates” from professional bodies now prefix “Dr.” to their names.

Diploma mills abroad actively market such titles to Nigerians, who present them as earned academic doctorates.

This practice is deceitful, misleading, and corrosive to academic credibility.

2. Racketeering by Dubious Institutions

Unaccredited entities such as “Prowess University” in the Benin Republic openly trade honorary doctorates, assuring recipients that they may use the “Dr.” title.

Such exploitation thrives because of weak enforcement in Nigeria, further damaging the nation’s intellectual reputation.

3. Commercialization of the “Professor” Title

Reports abound of individuals fraudulently parading themselves as “Professors” after purchasing titles from questionable foreign institutions.

For example, an Abuja-based realtor allegedly claims the title of “Professor of Entrepreneurship” from an unrecognized American body.

Others similarly flaunt affiliations with the so-called American University of Business and Social Sciences (AUBSS).

This brazen misrepresentation deceives the public and undermines authentic academic achievement.

Relevant Legal Provisions in Nigeria

Nigeria already has laws capable of addressing these abuses, including:

Criminal Code Act (Cap. C38, S463): Criminalizes falsification or misrepresentation of academic credentials, with penalties of up to 14 years imprisonment or ₦500,000 fine.

NUC Act (1974): Prohibits misrepresentation of qualifications, with fines up to ₦1 million.

Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria Act (1993): Outlaws unauthorized use of academic titles, prescribing up to 2 years imprisonment or ₦200,000 fine.

The problem is not the absence of laws but the absence of enforcement.

Our Demands

We, the undersigned, therefore call on the Nigerian government and its agencies to:

1. Enforce Existing Laws against illegal use of “Dr.” and “Prof.” titles, and prosecute offenders under the Criminal Code, NUC Act, and TRCN Act.

2. Blacklist and Ban Dubious Institutions such as Prowess University, AUBSS, and their affiliates from operating in Nigeria or associating with Nigerian citizens.

3. Publicly Clarify the Nature of Honorary Titles, bible college degrees, and professional body “doctorates,” stating clearly that they are symbolic and do not confer the right to prefix “Dr.”

4. Launch a Nationwide Awareness Campaign to educate the public, media, and employers on the proper use of academic titles.

5. Establish a Joint Task Force involving the NUC, Ministry of Education, DSS, and Police to monitor, investigate, and prosecute cases of academic title fraud.

The dignity of Nigeria’s higher education system is at stake. Every unqualified “Dr.” or fake “Professor” undermines the years of rigorous intellectual effort by those who have legitimately earned such titles.

We demand urgent and decisive action. Offenders must face the law, and clear examples must be set to deter further abuses. Only then can Nigeria reclaim the credibility and integrity of its academic community.

Signed:

Prof. Adeyemi Johnson Ademowo

Convener, CAPQAT

Coalition of Academics and Professors for Qualified Use of Academic Titles

📞 08121210824 | ✉️ yemiademowo@gmail.com