The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, GTEC, has announced it will begin prosecuting individuals who continue to use the title “honorary professor,” describing the practice as fraudulent and deceptive.
According to the Commission, such titles violate the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), and individuals found guilty will be prosecuted for public deception.
“For clarity, the term ‘honorary professor’ is non-existent in Ghana’s tertiary education system,” said Prof. Ahmed Jinapor, GTEC’s Director-General, at a press briefing last Friday in Accra. “The title ‘Professor’ is strictly reserved for academic staff who have advanced through the academic ranks. Only a university’s governing council may confer the title through promotion or direct appointment based on academic qualifications.”
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Prof. Jinapor warned that any person using the title “honorary professor” is misleading the public and committing an act of fraud. He emphasized that the misuse of academic titles such as Doctor, Professor, or Chartered is an offense under Ghanaian law, punishable by fines of up to 250 penalty units, imprisonment for up to a year, or both.
“The honeymoon period is over,” Prof. Jinapor stated firmly, signaling GTEC’s readiness to enforce the law.
GTEC’s Mandate
The press conference was held to clarify GTEC’s mandate to regulate the tertiary education sector, including academic titles. Section 8(4)(d) of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), empowers the Commission to regulate the use of academic designations such as ‘university,’ ‘college,’ ‘professor,’ ‘doctor,’ and ‘chartered.’
Prof. Jinapor reiterated that only accredited and chartered institutions are authorized to confer honorary degrees — and that no institution, local or foreign, is permitted to award or recognize the title “honorary professor.”
“Titles conferred by unaccredited foreign bodies have no legitimacy in Ghana and are not recognized by the Commission,” he added.
Real Academic Ranks Must Be Earned
He stressed that academic titles such as PhD, MSc, or BSc are earned through rigorous, structured, and supervised educational programs involving coursework, examinations, research, thesis defense, and peer review.
“For example, a PhD in Mechanical Engineering is only conferred after several years of coursework and original research, culminating in a successful thesis defense before an academic panel,” he explained. “You don’t simply wake up one day and declare yourself a PhD holder.”
Honorary Doctorates and Public Deception
While honorary doctorates may be granted by accredited institutions in recognition of societal contributions, GTEC clarified that recipients of such awards may not use the title “Dr.” in a way that implies academic or professional qualifications.
“In line with international best practices, the use of ‘Dr.’ by honorary doctorate recipients or ‘Prof.’ by those given unverified honorary awards is prohibited,” Prof. Jinapor emphasized. “These practices mislead the public and threaten the integrity of Ghana’s academic system.”
He warned that such misrepresentations could lead the public to mistake individuals for qualified medical doctors, researchers, or academics, creating both ethical and legal concerns.
He also noted that, unlike in countries like the U.S. where “professor” may be used more loosely, Ghana’s academic ladder begins at “lecturer” and progresses through senior lecturer and associate professor before attaining the title of “professor.”
Prof. Jinapor called on the media, civil society organizations, and the public to support GTEC’s mission to preserve the dignity and standards of Ghana’s education system.
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