Director-General of GTEC, Professor Ahmed Jinapor AbdulaiThe Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has sounded the alarm over the increasing misuse of honorary academic titles, cautioning both individuals and institutions against misrepresenting these accolades as earned credentials.
In a statement signed by the Director-General, Professor Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, the Commission highlighted a worrying trend where people append titles such as “Doctor” and “Professor” — awarded honorarily — to their names in official settings, presenting them as legitimate academic qualifications.
“While the Commission acknowledges and encourages the responsible recognition of distinguished individuals… it asserts that such honours should only be conferred by accredited and duly recognised institutions within the realm of Ghanaian higher education,” the statement read.
GTEC emphasized that honorary degrees are intended to celebrate distinguished service or accomplishment, not to confer academic status. The Commission maintained that integrating such titles into official documents or credentials is not only unethical but also illegal, as it flouts provisions of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023).
“To safeguard the integrity of Ghana’s higher education system and to uphold its deserved credibility and respect, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission demands that all stakeholders refrain from the misuse of honorary academic titles,” said Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, Director-General of GTEC.
Referencing its statutory responsibility under Section 8 (3)(d) of Act 1023, the Commission reminded the public that it is tasked with regulating the use of academic designations — including “university,” “college,” “Emeritus,” “Professor,” “Doctor,” and “Chartered.”
GTEC further called on institutions to exercise due diligence in the conferment of honorary awards, urging individuals to respect the difference between earned and honorary distinctions. The Commission also appealed to stakeholders within the education sector to collectively protect the sanctity of academic titles.
In its closing remarks, GTEC warned that any individual or institution found to be in breach of these regulations would face the appropriate regulatory consequences.
