Many cynics have severally tried to bring down the glory or dim the lights of people who received honorary Doctorate Degrees (Honoris Causa). We live in a wicked and strange world where people unnecessarily envy you for no just reason. A Yoruba Proverb says that: “Your sworn enemy’s most-prized possession always has no value in your eyes because of envy and jealousy.”

Another Yoruba proverb says: “Those who don’t have the opportunity to have or do something or blew their chances of having or doing a particular thing away, are always the first people to criticise anyone who later have or achieve that thing.”

These two Yoruba proverbs are applicable in this analysis, where a lot of people always try to look down on people earning non-academic honorary Doctorate Degrees (Honoris Causa). In this very short write up, I will try and explain vividly why Honorary Doctorate Degree holders shouldn’t be looked at as undeserved Ph.D degree holders by some members of the Society.

Honorary Doctorate Degrees, also famously known by its Latin name, Honoris Causa, is a non-academic Ph.D Degree, which is given to selected members of the Society by a University’s Senate, in recognition of the awardee’s or recipient’s contributions to the intellectual growth, development and expansion of the University giving out the award.

It is also given to intelligent people and individuals who have outstandingly excelled in one way or the other in their chosen fields of human endeavours like business, religion, education, culture, media, journalism, communications, politics, etc.

It is often given out to some selected members of the society who have done something significant and noteworthy and also who have contributed immensely to some profession like sciences, arts, engineering, accounting, law, medicine, music, etc.

It is an honour that is treasured and invaluable. As we all know, the Ph.D Degree is the highest educational qualification anywhere in the world. Therefore, anyone that has done something magnificent, significant, noteworthy and exemplary are always chosen by a university every year and the person is conferred with an honorary Doctorate Degree without writing any exams.

I write to clear the air and set the records straight on some wrong insinuation concerning Honorary Doctorate Degrees. The Degrees are given to important people and personalities in the society. They’re not given to undeserved citizens, like some people always opined and criticised, cynically.

Let me take you down memory lane a bit. Prof. Chinua Achebe was one of the best African writers of all time. He was one of the most intelligent human beings ever to come out of Africa. He was one of the best brains ever to be born in Africa. His book: ‘Things Fall Apart’, first published in 1958, sold over 50 million copies world wide. It is an African record.

The book was also translated into over 20 International Languages worldwide. Despite having an academic Ph.D., Prof. Chinua Achebe., who was born in 1939, officially received over 30 Honorary Doctorate Degrees (Ph.Ds) (Honoris Causa) before he died in Boston, Massachuesettes, USA in 2013, aged 74.

I wish I had the kind of brain that God gave him. He was just too brilliant and exceptional. You cannot correctly say who was brighter, more intelligent, more prosy, more endearing, more witty, more compendious, more concise, or more magnificent in writing between Prof. Chinua Achebe and Prof. Wole Soyinka.

It’s a very difficult answer. You will always be wrong. Prof. Chinua Achebe was a literary genius, legend, veteran and giant. As a Literature student in secondary school, I read his most famous book: ‘Things Fall Apart,’ from cover to cover, more than 20 times.

Also, Nigeria’s first ever President, Nnamdi Azikiwe, had a ‘Dr’ prefix before his name, not because he had an academic Ph.D., but because he had an Honorary Doctorate Degree. His highest educational qualifications was a Master’s Degree, yet, he was fondly called a ‘Dr’ even after death, almost 30 years ago.

The powerful and prophetic phrase he made just before the First Republic military coup is still legendary till today. He brilliantly and famously said: ‘I am sick (ZIK), at the Lagos Airport, before he travelled out of Nigeria, some days to the 1966 military coup. That’s how he escaped being killed in the coup. You’ll also agree with me that Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe was one of the best and most intelligent politicians ever to rule Nigeria.

Mentioning the name: ‘Nnamdi Azikiwe’ without adding the revered and redoubtable prefix: ‘Dr.’ before the name is incomplete. There’s hardly anywhere you’ll see the name: ‘Nnamdi Azikiwe’ without seeing the prefix: ‘Dr.’ before the name. It is almost impossible. You can check your N500 note to confirm.

Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), was one of the best governors ever to govern Lagos State. In an exclusive interview with The Saturday Telegraph newspaper, published on page 29 of its October 26, 2024 edition, Fashola said that while he was in Office for a period of eight years between 2007-2015, he received 17 different Honorary Doctorate Degree offers from 17 different universities worldwide. This was so because of his sterling performances in Office, as the governor of Lagos State.

He was able to receive only one out of those 17 Doctoral offers. What does this mean? It means that Honorary Doctorate Degrees (Honoris Causa) are usually given to geniuses who have sterlingly performed and excelled in their various fields of human endeavours. Honorary Doctorate Degrees (Honoris Causa) are not for the miss-fits of the society.

Fashola’s highest academic qualifications is a Bachelor Degree in Law (LLB), which he got from the University of Benin (UNIBEN) in 1988. He didn’t even have a Master’s in Law (LLM). But, he is a genius within and without. He is one of the very few Nigerian public officers and celebrities who can confidently and sterlingly give beautiful official speeches in hours without looking at any prepared, typed or written books or papers. He has done this in my presence over and over again.

These infallible and irrepressible examples were given in this very short write up to let you know that there’s actually nothing wrong with receiving an Honorary Doctorate Degree at all. If you’re not a genius, you can’t receive an Honorary Doctorate Degree. That’s the fact. That’s the home truth.

I received one, because I am a genius in my field. I received one because I am sterlingly outstanding in my chosen career…. And by the special grace of the Almighty God, the giver of all good things of Life, I will receive my second Honorary Doctorate Degree (Ph.D) (Honoris Causa), on Saturday, December 14, 2024 (just a day to my wedding anniversary)…

There’s no better way to end the year than this…. There’s no bigger wedding anniversary gift than this….. Everything is set for that glorious celebration and elevation in my career once again…. God bless you all. Regards.

Dr Olanrewaju is Editor, Our Moment Newspaper. He can be reached via: [email protected] or 08034366056, 09093211000.