The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has announced a series of stringent measures aimed at curbing the growing misuse of honorary doctorate and professorial titles in the country.

The Commission says the actions are necessary to protect the integrity of Ghana’s higher education system and to prevent the public from being misled.

In a statement issued on their official website under the signature of the Director-General of GTEC, Ahmed Jinapor Abdula, the Commission expressed concern over the increasing number of individuals adopting titles such as “Dr” and “Prof” after receiving honorary awards from institutions both locally and internationally.

The Commission stressed that these honours, while valid as symbolic recognition, are not academic qualifications and must not be used as part of any recipient’s official name or professional identity.

To address the trend, GTEC has reaffirmed its authority under Section 8 (3)(d) of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), which empowers the Commission to regulate the use of higher education titles.

Under the new enforcement measures, individuals who continue to style themselves with honorary titles will face sanctions, while institutions that confer such honours irresponsibly may also be penalised.

GTEC has further directed that honorary degrees should only be awarded by accredited and duly recognised institutions within the Ghanaian higher education space.

It has also called on all institutions to exercise restraint in issuing these distinctions, urging them to preserve the value and credibility of formal academic pathways.

As part of the new measures, the Commission is appealing to the public to reject the misuse of these titles and is encouraging individuals to uphold personal responsibility by refraining from adding honorary honours to their official credentials.

GTEC warned that persistent disregard for these directives will trigger regulatory intervention. Individuals and institutions that intentionally misuse honorary academic titles will face sanctions aimed at protecting the credibility of true doctoral and professorial qualifications.

The Commission concluded by reaffirming its commitment to safeguarding Ghana’s tertiary education landscape, calling for collective action to maintain academic integrity and public trust.

Below is the full document.