The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has introduced a comprehensive national policy aimed at ending the growing abuse, commercialisation, and improper conferment of honorary degrees by some tertiary institutions across the country.
The policy, signed by the Director-General of GTEC, Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai and issued on December 8, 2025, warns that the uncontrolled proliferation of honorary awards — often facilitated through unaccredited bodies and questionable collaborations — is undermining academic integrity and damaging Ghana’s international reputation.
GTEC said the new framework, backed by the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), establishes strict national standards that all public and chartered private universities must follow. It also affirms the Commission’s full legal authority to investigate, query or sanction any institution that breaches the rules.
Under the policy, unaccredited institutions, mentored colleges, and external bodies without approval are completely barred from conferring honorary degrees in Ghana.
Any such awards, GTEC stressed, will not be recognised.
The Commission also emphasised that institutions cannot grant honorary degrees in exchange for donations, political considerations, or material influence. GTEC further cautioned that universities that appear to confer honorary degrees excessively or without merit will be queried and may have their right to award such degrees suspended.
A major highlight of the directive is a firm stance on misuse of honorary titles. The policy states clearly that recipients of honorary degrees cannot use the title “Dr.”, adding that institutions must issue guidance to prevent misrepresentation. Any recipient who misuses the title risks having the award withdrawn.
To ensure transparency, institutions must document all nomination and vetting processes, conduct due diligence — including integrity checks — and maintain formal registers of all honorary degrees conferred.
GTEC reserves the right to withdraw awards that were improperly granted or based on fraudulent information.
Describing the policy as a necessary intervention, GTEC said it aims to “protect the integrity of Ghana’s higher education system,” prevent commercialisation of honorary awards, and rebuild public confidence in academic honours.
The Commission said the policy takes effect immediately.
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