Why Nigeria ban di use of Dr prefix for pipo wey no earn am from school

Nigeria govment don cut warning for di pipo wey get honorary degrees make dem stop to dey add "Dr" (Doctor) to dia names for official, academic, or professional use.

Na on Wednesday govment declare say wen pipo wey no earn di title academically dey use am, e dey cause misrepresentation of academic credentials and from now dem go begin treat am as academic fraud wey go carry legal consequences.

Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, tell tori pipo say na part of di two tins wey di Federal Executive Council (FEC) approve wey dem bin no announce for di last cabinet meeting, wey bin happun on April 30.

Im tok say di FEC approve uniform policy for di award and use of honorary degrees by Nigerian universities.

"Di recent trend wey we dey see wit di award of honorary degrees don reveal a growing abuse and politicisation of dis academic privilege.

"We don see as dem dey use awards for political patronage, for financial gain, dem dey also give dis awards to serving public officials, wey, as part of di ethics of honorary degree awards, no suppose happun." Alausa tok.

Di policy dey designed to end wetin dem describe as decades of how universities dey give pipo degrees anyhow to patronise dem politically and some wey dey use am for financial benefits.

Na also anoda way to restore public confidence for di integrity of academic titles.

Under dis new policy, pipo wey get honorary degrees no go fit put "Dr" bifor dia names.

Instead, dem gatz put di full honorary title afta dia name.

For examples, wey di minister give, im explain say, "you fit use Chief Louis Clark, D.Lit. (Doctor of Literature, Honoris Causa)" or "Mrs Miriam Adamu, LL.D. Hons".

Im tok say dis format clearly show say na honorary degree wey dem just get no be di one wey dem dey earn from academic work for universities.

"Recipients no go put doctor for front of dia names for official, academic or professional usage.

"Misrepresentation of honorary degrees wit earned academic credentials go dey considered as academic fraud and subject to legal and reputational consequences," im tok.

Di policy also restrict di type of honorary degrees Nigerian universities fit give pesin. Dem be: Doctor of Laws (LL.D), Doctor of Letters (D.Lit), Doctor of Science (D.Sc), and Doctor of Humanities (D.Arts).

No active PhD programme, no honorary degree

Di policy no be for only pipo wey get honorary title, di policy also ban universities wey no get any active PhD-awarding programmes from giving honorary degrees.

Di education minister for Nigeria say dem dey restrict am to address how small-small and new institutions wey just come out dey begin give honorary doctorate degree.

E say some of dis universities neva even reach five years and dem no even get post graduate programmes.

From now on, dem gatz write "honorary" for all honorary degrees or e gatz carry "Honoris Causa" for di award certificate and for all references.

E don tey wey pipo dey complain about how dem don turn dis honorary degrees wey universities dey give into business and politics.

Pipo bin dey sama Nigeria academic community say universities dey give degrees to pipo wey get money well-well and public officials so dat dem fit give di schools financial support instead of to give di pipo wey suppose get am on merit.

Di minister add say for 2012, di Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities bin try to chook eye for wetin dem bin call Keffi Declaration.

Dis declaration bin bring out principles wey universities go follow bifor dem give pipo honorary degrees, but e no get any legal or executive backing and dem begin push am go corner.

"Di association no get any legal backing to enforce anytin. Na why we carry am come di Federal Executive Council, now e don get legal and executive backing," im conclude.

How govment go monitor compliance?

Di Ministry of Education go begin publish di list of legitimate honorary degree recipients evri year to protect di integrity of academic qualifications wey pipo earm from hard work from school.

Di Nigeria Universities Commission( NUC ) get statutory power to enforce di policy.

Di Ministry of Education for Nigerian and di National Universities Commission (NUC) go bring out notice for all vice-chancellors, registrars, and governing councils to inform dem about dis policy.

Oga Alausa say dem go begin monitor convocation programmes to see weda universities dey comply.

Im say govment go also do collabo wit tori pipo so dat dem go only address di pipo wey get di academic doctorate degree as Dr.