September 29, 2025
Ethiopia is not the only African nation having to contend with honorary degrees
Ethiopia’s Ministry of Education, Berhanu Nega, has issued a new directive forbidding recipients of honorary doctorates from using the prefix “Doctor.”
The decree applies to use of the moniker outside the institution that granted the honor. Honorary degree holders are now barred from using “Doctor” in public or professional settings. The restriction also applies to nominations. Full-time employees, administrative staff or members of a university senate cannot be nominated for honorary degrees unless they are no longer professionally associated with said institution, Independent reported.
There are also regulations that impose standards on institutions themselves. Only universities that have eight or more graduating classes and offer doctoral programs may confer honorary distinctions. Institutions that fail to meet the guidelines lose eligibility to grant honorary doctorates.
Political officeholders and government officials are now ineligible to receive honorary doctorates under the decree. Supporters of the policy say it aims to restore integrity to academic titles by preventing ceremonial honors from being mistaken for earned credentials.
Unfortunately, Ethiopia is not the only African nation having to contend with issues stemming from honorary degrees. In Abuja, Nigeria an honorary degree ceremony was held to award musician Dauda Kahutu Rarara an honorary doctorate. However, European-American University, the university named in the event, claimed the ceremony and honor was in no way connected to its institution.
In a statement posted on its website the university wrote, “The University has not authorized any convocation … this event has been organized fraudulently without the knowledge or consent of the University.”
The university also rejected connections to figures who alleged to act on its behalf. European-American University believes Rarara and others, who were “conferred” degrees, are victims of deception. Yet, the organization reinforced that any legitimate honorary awards can only proceed through its official review processes
In Ethiopia, the government has not detailed a list of specific penalties or enforcement mechanisms. However, as cross-border cases of fraudulent degrees and ceremonies emerge, the government will likely depend on institutional integrity and social policing.
As Ethiopia moves to restrict the use of “Doctor” by honorary degree holders, the Nigerian controversy serves as a cautionary reminder that regulation is not useful without verification.
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