Tinubu Warns Universities against Indiscriminate Award of Honorary Degrees

Igbawase Ukumba in Lifia

President Bola Tinubu has warned Nigerian universities against indiscriminate award of honorary degrees, saying that it undermines the very core values of academic integrity and must be discontinued.

Tinubu made the warning at the combined convocation ceremonies for the sixth, seventh, and eighth graduates of the students of Federal University of Lafia (FULafia), in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital yesterday.

The president, who was represented by the Acting Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC), Mr. Chris Jibreel-Maiyaki, explained that degrees were being awarded for candidates found worthy in character and learning.

He argued that the honorary degrees should be given to only deserving Nigerians who have contributed immensely to the growth of the society.

According to him, academic competence and professional training represent just a fraction of the qualifications needed to build a strong and prosperous nation.

He said: “Moral training and ethical standards must be coupled with the best form of academic development for universities to fulfill their purpose.

“Therefore, universities’ management and the general environments of teaching and learning must model the highest standard of integrity, probity and moral discipline.

“In this connection, I must draw your attention to the tendency of some institutions to devalue the quality of their degrees by giving out honorary doctorate degrees indiscriminately against the common universities’ community practice.”

President Tinubu has also pledged to always respond positivity to needs of universities and its communities in order to reposition things for better outputs.

He, therefore, pledged to do everything possible to tackle the infrastructural deficits in Nigerian universities and other tertiary institutions in the country.

Earlier, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State appreciated the management of the institution for putting in effort to train students.

The governor also promised to train all the 50 First Class graduates of FULafia from the three sets in different entrepreneur skills and give each of them N500, 000 at the end of the one-month training.

The Vice Chancellor (VC) of the university, Prof. Shehu Abdul-Rahman, said the convocation was the first in his three years as the VC of the institution.

He stated that the combined convocation was for 6,499 students from 53 departments of 12 faculties, 48 PhD graduates as well as other post-graduates.

He added that the institution that started with few departments in 2011, currently has a College of Medicine, School of Basic and Remedial Studies as well as School of Postgraduate Studies.

According to him, the school currently runs 17 courses at post-graduate level while nine other courses are awaiting commencement.