Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is’haq Oloyede, has criticised some Nigerian universities over what he called the indiscriminate and devalued awarding of honorary degrees.
Oloyede made the remarks on Wednesday during the University of Ilorin’s 50th anniversary celebration in Ilorin.
Speaking at the investiture of 65 distinguished Nigerians, including 50 ambassadors, 10 alumni, and two recipients of the Award of Excellence, Oloyede said the culture of awarding honorary degrees without merit has eroded the value and dignity once associated with such honours. “Honorary degrees have become worthless,” he declared.
Oloyede praised the University of Ilorin for distancing itself from this trend. “I was part of the team then, during my time as VC, who said the University of Ilorin should not be part of the maddening crowd of awarding honorary degrees,” he said. “I can’t remember any in the last 20 years, just because we want to be different.”
The JAMB boss also lauded the current Vice Chancellor, Prof. Wahab Egbewole, for what he described as a “creative and dignified” approach to recognising excellence. He added that even the most prestigious honorary degrees could not match the impact made by the university’s new form of recognition.
“Some people even send their drivers to represent them to pick up the awards, just because it has become worthless,” Oloyede said. “From us, we say this is a big honour and we pledge to continue to serve this university, this nation, and humanity at large.”
In his response, Prof. Egbewole explained that the ambassadors were nominated by their faculties and confirmed by the university’s Centre for Advancement. He said the recipients were chosen based on merit and consistent contributions to the university’s growth.
“These individuals have consistently demonstrated loyalty to the values of our university,” Egbewole noted. “Some honourees were added in recognition of their extraordinary acts of generosity and support, reaffirming the saying that one good turn deserves another.”