Honorary “Doctors” vs. Earned Doctorates: A Title in Turmoil
Oyeniyi Bukola Adeyemi
Honorary “Doctors” vs. Earned Doctorates: A Title in Turmoil
A few years ago, I received an unexpected email purportedly from the London School of Economics (LSE), informing me that I had been “nominated” to receive an Honorary Doctorate in Administration. The catch was immediately suspicious: I did not graduate from LSE, I have not contributed anything other than attending conferences at LSE, the degree was to be conferred not in London, but at a hotel in Dubai, and I was “expected” to pay $5,000 into the institution’s account upfront – plus another $2,000 for the hooding ceremony and certificate at the investiture in Dubai. As a holder of a PhD from Leiden University, I knew exactly what earning a doctorate entails – years of rigorous research, a defended dissertation, blood, sweat and tears. This offer was nothing of the sort. In fact, it was a brazen cash-for-title scam, using LSE’s prestigious name to lure vanity candidates. I posted the email on social media to warn others, and I replied to the senders in no uncertain terms that they were impersonating LSE to perpetrate fraud. I demanded that they remove my name from their mailing list immediately. The episode was a personal wake-up call: the “Dr.” title – once the hard-won pinnacle of academic achievement – was being blatantly hawked to anyone willing to pay.
The Crisis of Honorary Titles and Title Misuse
In academic tradition, a Doctor is an individual who has obtained a doctoral-level degree (typically a PhD or equivalent) after years of study and original research. Honorary doctorates, by contrast, are symbolic awards conferred by universities to honor someone’s contributions to society or a field – they do not involve the academic rigor of an earned degree. According to Ghana’s Tertiary Education Commission, these honorary titles “do not carry the academic rigour of earned degrees and should not be used as formal academic qualifications”. In principle, recipients of honorary degrees are not supposed to prefix their names with “Dr.” as if they had completed a PhD. Many universities’ etiquette guidelines explicitly state this: “All references to honorary degrees should specify that the degree was honorary. Do not use Dr. before the name of an individual whose only doctorate is honorary.”.
In practice, however, this etiquette is increasingly ignored. In Nigeria today, few titles command as much public reverence as “Dr.” – yet more and more, the title no longer signifies years of academic labor. What should be a purely ceremonial recognition has instead become a tool for image branding. Politicians, religious leaders, entertainers, and even businesspeople routinely adopt the “Dr.” appellation after receiving honorary doctorates, without clarifying that these titles were not earned through research. I have met many such honorary doctorate recipients who unblinkingly introduce themselves as “Dr. so-and-so”. Some have even taken on academic titles like “Professor,” “Associate Professor,” or “Distinguished Professor” – designations that normally require decades of teaching and scholarly publications – based solely on honorary awards or unaccredited institutions. This conflation between earned and unearned credentials breeds enormous confusion in society. As Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi (a former Ghanaian Minister of Education) observes, “the society is filled with numerous honorary degree holders, and it is impossible to make a distinction between the two [earned doctorate and honorary doctorate]”.
Misuse of the “Dr.” title by honorary degree holders is not a victimless fad – it undermines the integrity of academic qualifications. When virtually anyone – including pastors, actors, and political figures – can style themselves “Dr.” as a status symbol, the public is misled and the prestige of genuine scholarship is diminished. Academic doctors spend a minimum of 3–5 years (often much longer) on a PhD, mastering a discipline and contributing new knowledge via a dissertation. In contrast, honorary “doctors” have not proven comparable expertise. As one Nigerian university don put it succinctly, “a PhD is earned through rigorous academic research; an honorary doctorate is purely symbolic. Conflating the two…undermines the credibility of the nation’s educational system.” Yet the conflation persists. Honorary degrees – originally meant for truly exceptional contributions to society or knowledge – are now frequently handed out to sitting governors, campaign donors, celebrities, and other VIPs (sometimes en masse, with as many as 20 honorary doctorates awarded in a single university convocation). Many recipients proudly adopt the “Dr.” title in campaign posters, church programs, business meetings, and even on official documents. The title, in effect, has been bastardized into a cheap status marker, rather than a reflection of academic accomplishment.
This phenomenon is not unique to Nigeria. Across Africa and beyond, “mushroom” institutions and diploma mills have sprung up, dishing out honorary doctorates (and even bogus earned degrees) to anyone ready to pay. In some cases, unaccredited outfits offer vanity PhDs via email solicitations – exactly like the one I received – often targeting individuals with political or social clout. A revealing investigation in Namibia exposed how a so-called London Graduate School in partnership with Commonwealth University (Belize) was inviting African dignitaries to Dubai for “life-changing” seminars that climax with an honorary doctorate – for a price. The “ego trip,” as the Namibian journalist described, came at a “steep cost, for the nominee will only receive the ‘honorary doctorate’ after paying US$5,500” in fees. Prominent individuals fell for this scam, including politicians, a former cabinet minister, business magnates and others, all proudly returning home as “Dr.” Yet neither the London Graduate School nor Commonwealth University was a recognized university in the UK (one was traced to a suburban house in London, the other registered in a Caribbean tax haven). At the heart of the scheme were unscrupulous self-styled academics – including a Nigerian man styling himself “Professor” without credible qualifications. This cross-border “doctorate mill” targeted Africans’ respect for titles, exploiting the social cachet carried by “Dr.” to sell essentially worthless certificates. Sadly, it succeeded – highlighting how eagerly some individuals chase the title without the substance behind it.
Legal Crackdowns: Ghana, Ethiopia, and Others Draw the Line
Faced with this growing abuse of academic titles, some governments and educational bodies have decided to act. In Ghana, the problem had become so rampant that authorities recently took the unprecedented step of banning the public use of honorary titles altogether. In June 2025, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) issued a directive prohibiting anyone from officially using “Dr.” or “Prof.” on the basis of an honorary award. GTEC’s statement denounced the increasing public use of unearned titles as “deceitful and unethical,” warning that the trend erodes the value of genuine academic achievement. The ban specifically targets politicians, businesspeople, clergymen and women – anyone using an honorary doctorate or professorship in everyday life.
Crucially, Ghana is backing up this moral stance with legal force. The misuse of academic titles in Ghana is not only frowned upon; it is “now a criminal offense under the Education Regulatory Bodies Act 2020 (Act 1023).” Professor Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, GTEC’s Director-General, cautioned that individuals who adopt “Dr.” or “Professor” without an earned qualification are “in violation of Ghana’s education regulatory laws and may face prosecution.” GTEC has the legal mandate to regulate academic titles, and violators can face penalties of up to 250 penalty units (a substantial fine), up to one year imprisonment, or both. In an aggressive naming-and-shaming campaign, GTEC has begun identifying people who call themselves “Dr.” or “Prof.” illegitimately, contacting them to produce proof of their credentials – and threatening legal action if they cannot. “This is not about optics. If public education and warnings don’t work, we will take legal action to serve as a deterrent,” Prof. Jinapor declared firmly. Ghana’s regulators even emphasized that titles like “Honorary Professor” or “Hon. Dr.” are not recognized in any official capacity. By effectively outlawing the use of these titles outside ceremonial contexts, Ghana hopes to preserve the “sanctity of [its] academic institutions” and ensure academic recognition must be earned through merit and scholarly effort.
In Ethiopia, a similarly bold reform has taken place. A sweeping directive issued by Ethiopia’s Ministry of Education in July 2025 tackled the issue on two fronts. First, it bans all holders of honorary doctorates from using the title “Doctor” outside the walls of the awarding institution. In other words, if someone is granted an honorary doctorate by an Ethiopian university, they may be addressed as “Dr.” only on that campus or in that specific university’s ceremonies – but not in the public sphere or on official documents. The Ethiopian Ministry went further, prohibiting universities from awarding honorary degrees to certain categories of people altogether. Under the new rules (signed by Education Minister Prof. Berhanu Nega), serving government officials and political officeholders are barred from being nominated for honorary doctorates. This aims to stop the all-too-common practice of universities currying favor with sitting politicians by bestowing degrees upon them. The directive also tightened the criteria on which institutions can confer honorary degrees, forbidding any relatively new or substandard institutions (for example, those that have not graduated at least 8 cohorts of PhD students) from doling out honorary doctorates. As a result of these reforms, Ethiopia has effectively shut down the use of “Dr.” by honorary degree holders in public life, sending a clear message that the title must be reserved for earned academic accomplishments. “The Ethiopian Ministry of Education recently banned the use of honorary doctorate titles,” noted Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi in discussing Ghana’s own crackdown. The move in Ethiopia has reverberated across African academic circles, sparking conversations about reining in unearned titles on the continent.
Ghana and Ethiopia are not alone. Other countries are also taking action to restore the honor of academic honors. Malawi, for instance, has adopted enforceable policies similar in spirit. And outside Africa, there are longstanding precedents for protecting academic titles. In Germany, the use of “Dr.” is legally protected – one may only call oneself “Doktor” if one holds a doctorate from a recognized institution (foreign degrees must be officially recognized). German law treats title fraud seriously, and the country has seen its own scandals of degree-buying. A TIME magazine investigation in 2009 revealed a “rampant illegal trade in doctor titles in Germany, preying on people’s desire to gain the social kudos that comes with a Ph.D.” Academic “consultancies” had been found to arrange Ph.D. for-pay schemes, resulting in unqualified students obtaining degrees after paying hefty bribes – up to $30,000 – to cooperative professors. German authorities responded by prosecuting the offenders: professors were jailed, a number of PhD holders were stripped of their titles, and the scandal was decried as “a disaster for [Germany’s] education system.” The incident underscored how highly the title “Dr.” is valued in Germany (where “doctorates are important status symbols… dinner party guests talk about their Ph.D.s as readily as their jobs”), and thus why its corruption was scandalous. Importantly, the lesson from Germany is that even in societies where the title carries immense prestige, people will attempt to buy that prestige – unless strong legal and ethical standards are enforced.
Likewise, in the United States and the UK, while using an unearned “Dr.” title is not usually a criminal offense, it is heavily stigmatized and against professional protocols. Reputable media outlets and academic institutions follow strict style guidelines on this matter. For example, Loyola University’s editorial guide instructs: “Do not use Dr. before the name of an individual whose only doctorate is honorary.” The Associated Press (AP) Stylebook – widely used by journalists – has a similar rule to ensure that “Dr.” in news stories only applies to people with earned doctoral degrees or medical qualifications. In short, globally there is a recognition that unearned titles should not be passed off as earned credentials. Some jurisdictions historically went so far as to ban honorary Ph.D. degrees entirely; for instance, as early as 1897, the state of New York (USA) outlawed the awarding of the Ph.D. as an honorary degree, a policy that set a precedent nationwide. Today, many American universities do confer honorary doctorates, but recipients are never addressed as “Dr.” in serious contexts, and honorary degrees are always clearly identified as such in writing.
The Nigerian Dilemma: Title Culture and Calls for Reform
Back in Nigeria, these international examples are both galling and illuminating. Nigeria’s love affair with titles is deeply ingrained – the honorific “Dr.” confers social respect, and many recipients of honorary degrees relish the added prestige. As one commentary lamented, “Nigeria’s relationship with honorary doctorates is both entrenched and problematic.” It is commonplace to see church leaders called “Dr. Bishop X” or actors advertised as “Dr. [Name]” after they receive some honorary degree from abroad. Universities often find it hard to resist the political pressure or financial inducements to award such honors. In 2012, alarmed by abuses, the Association of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities issued the Keffi Declaration, advising against awarding honorary degrees to sitting public officials and strongly discouraging recipients from using the “Dr.” title. The declaration also urged universities to tighten selection criteria and limit how many honorary degrees could be given in one event. Unfortunately, the Keffi Declaration had no legal teeth, and more than a decade later its recommendations are largely ignored.
Today, some Nigerian universities still maintain high standards – for example, Afe Babalola University reportedly honors only distinguished figures of genuine merit. But many others have allowed political influence and anticipated donations to dictate who gets an honorary doctorate. The problem is exacerbated by a proliferation of unregulated private institutions – derisively called “mushroom universities” – that will trade honorary degrees for cash or clout. These degrees are sometimes awarded in absentia or in hastily organized ceremonies, and yet they promptly appear in the official profiles and CVs of individuals with no other academic track record. This “certificate fever” has prompted concern across the education sector. Professor Victor Olumekun of Adekunle Ajasin University has spoken out, warning that honorary degrees have become mere status symbols and insisting that recipients should not be addressed as “Dr.” outside the ceremonial setting of the award. Similarly, Professor Ini Oko (former DVC of UniUyo) bemoans that many of these honorary degrees – especially those from foreign institutions – are obtained on a “cash and carry” basis. She notes that some of the institutions conferring them lack accreditation, and in extreme cases the supposed degrees are entirely fraudulent. These frank assessments from academics highlight that Nigeria’s honorary doctorate scene is often a pay-to-play affair, far removed from the ideal of recognizing true excellence.
There are some hopeful signs. The National Universities Commission (NUC) has repeatedly called for quality control and recently even published a list of illegal degree-awarding “universities” (many of which were marketing fake honors), leading the federal government to ban about 18 foreign institutions operating illegally in the country. An inter-ministerial panel is investigating over 100 private universities established in the last 15 years for allegations of certificate fraud, low standards, and unauthorized honorary degrees. And in a symbolic gesture, President Bola Tinubu – via the NUC Executive Secretary – urged an end to the indiscriminate conferment of honorary doctorates, calling on universities to show restraint and protect Nigeria’s academic reputation. However, as commentators note, unless such pronouncements are backed by law and enforcement, little is likely to change. Indeed, Nigeria has yet to enact a specific law criminalizing the misuse of academic titles by honorary degree holders (as Ghana and Ethiopia have done). However, I must note that the Teachers Registration Council Act of 1993 does stipulate penalties (of up to two years imprisonment or a ₦200,000 fine) for any person who “assumes or uses any academic title not earned” in the context of the teaching profession. But beyond certain professional domains, there is no blanket ban on calling oneself “Dr.” without an earned doctorate.
The late fuji maestro, Ayinde Barrister was honored with a Doctor of Music and addressed himself as Dr. Ayinde Barrister all his life. Similarly, there was a certain Professor Peller, a magician from Oyo State, whose title’s origin is obscure.
As things stand, it may ultimately fall to Nigeria’s lawmakers to consider tough measures, learning from the examples of Ghana, Malawi, and Ethiopia where enforceable policies now aim to restore trust in academic recognition.
“Doctor” or Not? – Rethinking Titles and Reclaiming Integrity
Underpinning this entire controversy is a deeper question: What does the title “Doctor” truly signify, and who deserves to hold it? The word doctor itself comes from the Latin docere, “to teach” – it was historically an academic title meaning teacher. By tradition dating back to the medieval universities, Doctor denoted someone licensed to teach and deemed an expert in their field. Over centuries, this usage extended beyond academia. In many parts of the world today, medical practitioners are addressed as “Doctor” as a courtesy, regardless of whether they hold a doctoral-level degree. For example, a physician with an MBBS (which is an undergraduate degree in medicine in British/Asian systems) or an MD (a first professional degree in North America) is universally called “Dr.” in clinical settings, out of respect for their role as healers. This has long been accepted socially and professionally – yet it sits oddly with the academic definition of the term. From a purely academic standpoint, an MBBS is not equivalent to a doctorate; it does not involve the creation of original scholarly knowledge. Thus, medical doctors without a PhD “are not doctors” in the academic sense and should not use the title in academic or any contexts. While most of society will go on calling physicians “Doctor,” the fact is that all traders count and manage money, but they are not called Accountants. Even roadside mechanics, bricklayers, etc. are all insisting on being called Engineers. Even roadside vulcanizers are now being called Tire Repair Technicians. While all these might appear comical, the point being underscored is that there is a need to jealously guard the title “Dr.” in academia, and ensure that it is not appropriated by individuals who neither endured a doctoral program.
Ultimately, this debate is about more than just prestige or semantics – it’s about integrity in knowledge production, dissemination, and utility. A doctoral degree is often called a terminal degree because it represents the terminus of formal education, the highest level of expertise in a field. It is supposed to certify that the holder has contributed something novel to human knowledge. If the title is cheapened by indiscriminate use, society loses a clear marker of who has proven research competence or professional expertise. As one Nigerian commentator wrote, “Despite laboring so hard to obtain my doctorate, I have not introduced myself to anyone as a doctor… But to allow the PhD to be ridiculed – in Nigeria where almost anyone, pastors, actors, actresses, politicians, etc. are called ‘Doctor’ as if it is a status symbol – is undermining the fundamentals of knowledge.” The frustration is palpable. Allowing unearned titles to proliferate not only deceives the public; it devalues the accomplishments of those who truly earned them.
Making a course correction is important. Africa’s recent crackdowns show a growing recognition that the “system has been bastardized” and needs realigning with global best practices. Perhaps solutions from one part of the world can be adapted elsewhere: Ghana’s approach of legal prohibition, Ethiopia’s strict regulations, Malawi’s enforcement, Germany’s legal protections, and the long-standing etiquette in Western academia all point to a common principle – transparency and truth in titles. Honorary awards have their place: it is perfectly appropriate to honor a public figure or philanthropist for their service. But perhaps, as Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi suggests, universities should devise “more ingenious ways of honouring individuals” – such as naming buildings, scholarships, or lectures after them – rather than automatically conferring degrees. Those forms of recognition carry prestige without muddying the waters of academic credentials. If honorary degrees continue, recipients must be educated not to use the title “Dr.” outside the award context, and the public must be sensitized to always look for whether “(Hon.)” or “honoris causa” is attached to a doctor title in biographies.
As I reflect on this issue, I do so both as an academic and as someone who has personally encountered its absurdities. I recall tuning in to a radio station owned by popular Nigerian singer Mr. Yinka Ayefele. The on-air presenters - Olalomi Amole and Akomolafe Olaiya - exuberantly referred to him as “Dr. Yinka Ayefele,” prompting listeners (myself included) to wonder when and where Ayefele earned a doctorate. I was genuinely interested in what his thesis was about, and who supervised his research. To educate myself more, I asked friends on Facebook, inviting them to educate me more about “where Yinka Ayefele obtained his doctorate.” My scholarly curiosity was piqued – only to be quickly deflated when the comment section clarified that the musician had never actually earned a PhD; he had simply been “honored” with an award. In that moment, what could have been an inspiring story of academic achievement turned out to be yet another instance of title inflation. The title “Dr.” before his name had misled the audience (perhaps unintentionally) into assuming scholarly accomplishments that were not there.
Such examples drive home why this issue matters. Titles are not my thing – by nature I’m self-effacing, and despite all the toil to earn my PhD, I rarely insist on being called “Dr.” by anyone. I consider it distance-creating. In fact, for me, it is not about respect for my accomplishment, as respect, in my view, should come from one’s contributions and competence, not from honorifics. However, I am deeply invested in protecting the meaning of academic titles. The “Dr.” appellation, when rightly used, signals a high level of expertise and trust; when misused, it becomes a hollow ornament or, worse, a tool of deception. Around the world, reforms are gathering momentum to curb this deception. It will require educating the public, shaming the offenders, and in many cases wielding the law to prosecute egregious misuse. But the recent developments – from Ghana naming and shaming fake doctors, to Ethiopia boldly telling honorary degree holders to drop the title, to Nigeria’s own educators speaking out – all give hope that we can restore a measure of honesty and honor to the way we use titles.
In closing, I circle back to that scam email I received – a faux honorary doctorate offer that tried to tempt me with prestige in exchange for money. I often think about how many people across Africa and beyond have received similar emails or paid for similar bogus honors, and have been tempted to take the bait. I chose to expose and reject it. It is now up to our academic institutions, regulators, and society at large to similarly reject the bastardization of the doctoral title, and to reaffirm that in the realm of knowledge, substance must trump title. The title “Doctor” – whether worn by a medical healer or a PhD scholar – must carry weight. If you haven’t earned that weight, you have no business strapping it on. In other words: Reserving “Dr.” for the deserving is not about elitism; it’s about preserving the truth in titles.
Sources:
Ghana Tertiary Education Commission – “Misuse of Honorary Titles a Criminal Offence” (GTEC press briefing, July 2025)
Business Insider Africa – *“Why Ghana banned the use of honorary doctorates and professorship in public”*
The Ghanaian Chronicle – “Cleansing Academic Degrees And Titles: Painful Exercise By GTEC” (Opinion by Prof. C. Ameyaw-Akumfi, Aug 2025)
Nigeria Education News – “Doctor Without Dissertation: The Crisis of Honorary Titles in Nigeria” (Feature by O. Aladekoye, Aug 15, 2025)
The Namibian – “The politician, the fake degree… and ethical awkwardness” (investigative report, Nov 21, 2018)
Time Magazine – “Germany’s Ph.D. Scandal: Were Degrees Bought?” (Aug 2009)
University of Tampa Style Guide – (rule on not using Dr. for honorary degree holders)
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Bukola A. Oyeniyi
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Missouri State University
College of Humanities and Public Affairs
History Department
Room 440, Strong Hall,
901 S. National Avenue
Springfield, MO 65897
Email: oyen...@gmail.com
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