President of Ghana
Ghana’s education authorities have issued a strict directive banning the public use of honorary academic titles such as “doctor” and “professor,” warning that violators will face legal consequences.
The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) made the announcement on Monday, June 9, 2025, through a statement signed by the commission’s Acting Deputy Director General, Professor Augustine Ocloo.
The move targets a growing trend in which individuals, particularly politicians, businesspeople, and religious leaders, publicly use honorary titles, which GTEC says misrepresents academic achievement and undermines the credibility of higher education.
“These honorary titles are being used deceitfully and unethically,” GTEC stated.
“People must stop parading themselves as doctors or professors unless those titles were earned through accredited academic work.”
Honorary doctorates and professorships are traditionally awarded by universities to recognize outstanding contributions to a field or to society at large.
However, these are symbolic and do not equate to an earned academic qualification.
GTEC emphasized that only individuals who have completed rigorous academic programs, including original research for doctoral degrees, or have advanced through the academic ranks should use such titles.
The commission warned that it will begin “naming and shaming” those who continue to flout the directive, and legal action will follow.
The decision comes amid growing concern over the proliferation of degree mills, unregulated institutions that sell honorary or fake academic degrees for a fee.
These entities often provide titles without academic merit, contributing to a spike in individuals misrepresenting themselves as scholars.
GTEC says the trend threatens the integrity of Ghana’s academic system and the global respectability of its universities.
The Commission called on all sectors, especially public figures, to uphold academic standards by refraining from using titles they did not earn through formal education.
