Accra, Ghana – June 12, 2025
The Government of Ghana has officially banned the public use of honorary doctorate and professorship titles, citing widespread abuse and the need to uphold academic integrity in the country.
The directive, issued by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), follows growing concerns that individuals, including public figures, were parading such titles without the requisite academic qualifications or contributions to scholarly work.
According to the GTEC statement, while honorary degrees and titles remain a symbolic gesture of recognition, they do not equate to earned academic qualifications and therefore should not be used in official capacities, public engagements, or documentation.
The ban applies to individuals in government, academia, the clergy, and private sectors, many of whom have adopted honorary titles in what authorities described as “an inflation of unmerited academic status.”
The move has been widely welcomed by educational stakeholders and academic institutions across West Africa, with some urging other countries to emulate Ghana’s decision in order to preserve the credibility of higher education.
GTEC further advised institutions, particularly unaccredited foreign universities and diploma mills—to stop awarding dubious honorary degrees in Ghana.
This decision aligns with ongoing efforts by Ghana’s Ministry of Education to sanitize the tertiary education space and promote excellence, credibility, and professionalism.