The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has issued a firm warning to the public against the unlawful use of honorary academic titles, describing the practice as misleading and a breach of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act 2020 (Act 1023).
Speaking at a media briefing, the Director-General of GTEC, Professor Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, cautioned that individuals who adopt titles such as “Dr.” or “Professor” solely on the basis of honorary awards are in violation of Ghana’s education regulatory laws and may face prosecution.
He clarified that only accredited and chartered institutions have the authority to confer honorary degrees—and even then, recipients are prohibited from using such titles as though they were earned academic qualifications.
Citing Section Act 1023, Prof. Jinapor reiterated that GTEC has the legal mandate to regulate the use of academic titles such as “Dr.,” “Professor,” and “Chartered.” He warned that the misuse of such titles may result in penalties of up to 250 penalty units, imprisonment for up to a year, or both.
In recent months, GTEC has launched a nationwide public awareness campaign aimed at naming and shaming individuals who fraudulently use honorary titles. Individuals identified have been contacted and asked to present proof of academic qualifications. Failure to do so may lead to legal consequences.
Prof. Jinapor raised concern about the increasing number of individuals—especially public figures such as politicians, religious leaders, herbalists, and entrepreneurs—who continue to use titles like “Dr.” based solely on honorary doctorates, in defiance of regulatory guidelines. He warned that such practices mislead the public, particularly when honorary recipients are mistaken for qualified medical professionals or academic experts.
He described the trend as “a threat to academic credibility” and emphasized that GTEC does not recognize titles such as “Honorary Professor” or “Honorary Doctor” in official or academic settings.
“Titles like ‘Hon. Dr.,’ ‘Hon. Prof.,’ or ‘Prof. Hon.’ are not acceptable,” he said.
The Director-General further noted that honorary awards are given in recognition of contributions to society and do not equate to academic or professional qualifications. He also raised alarm over unaccredited institutions conferring honorary degrees, some of which, he said, “do not even have the right to issue certificates.”
GTEC insists that honorary titles should be viewed purely as symbolic gestures and not be used in professional or academic environments.
The Commission plans to intensify enforcement efforts in phases—starting with public education, moving to stakeholder engagement, and ultimately pursuing legal action against persistent offenders.
“This is not about optics. If public education and warnings don’t work, we will take legal action to serve as a deterrent,” Prof. Jinapor declared.
He also called on the media to thoroughly verify academic titles before publishing them alongside individuals' names.