The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree, once regarded as a badge of intellectual honour, is facing an existential crisis, especially in Nigeria.
There are serious regret that across many public and private universities, what was once a rigorous process of intellectual development is being reduced to a transactional farce.
The commercialisation of PhD degrees is rampant, turning one of the highest academic honours into an embarrassing commodity.
This disturbing trend not only erodes the credibility of higher education but threatens the very foundation of knowledge creation and social progress.
A PhD, in its essence, is not just another degree. It is supposed to be a mark of academic excellence, awarded only to individuals who have demonstrated mastery of critical thinking, research, and innovation.
Those who earn the title ‘Doctor’ are expected to be productive thought leaders who can contribute to advancing human knowledge. PhD holders should stand out as exceptional beacons of human resource development, driving socio-economic and political growth through their ideas, innovations, and leadership.
The road to earning a PhD is designed to be long and arduous, filled with challenges that test an individual’s intellectual stamina and dedication. It involves years of painstaking research, critical analysis, and original contributions to one’s field.
The process is meant to shape thinkers who can address society’s most complex problems, guide future generations, and influence positive change. But increasingly, universities are unbelievably watering down this process, shamelessly awarding PhDs to anyone who can pay.
In an alarming trend, many universities are turning a blind eye to academic rigour, replacing it with sharp practices aimed at boosting their coffers. PhDs are reportedly being sold to individuals with deep pockets rather than deep intellectual insight. Potential recipients are wooed with promises that, once they pay, the entire process will be managed for them—thesis and all—by “supervisors” and “thesis contractors.”
This demeaning practice has birthed a cottage industry of professionals who write dissertations for students, erasing the critical requirement of original research and intellectual effort.
This practice undermines the very value of the PhD, reducing it to little more than an overpriced certificate. Sadly, many of these so-called PhD holders, bearing the prestigious title of ‘Dr,’ cannot defend their degrees.
They are often unable to articulate the simplest ideas related to their field of study, demonstrating poor coordination of thought and an embarrassing lack of competence. These ‘doctors’ are nothing more than imposters, and the institutions that allow this charade to continue should hang their heads in shame.
More troubling still is the complicity of supervisors—academics who are supposed to safeguard the quality of doctoral research. Instead, they collude with students, turning a blind eye to outsourced dissertations and ignoring substandard research. Sometimes, they are part of the corrupt arrangements, acting as facilitators rather than gatekeepers of academic excellence. This betrayal of academic principles is an affront to the true scholars who dedicate years to earning their degrees honestly.
What we are witnessing is an epidemic of ‘title mania.’ In a society that increasingly values status over substance, the PhD is seen by many as just another title to flaunt, regardless of whether it is earned or not. People are obsessed with acquiring the title of ‘Dr’ not because they are passionate about contributing to the world of ideas but because it enhances their social standing. These individuals want the title’s prestige without the effort, dedication, or intellectual rigour it demands.
This obsession with unearned titles does not stop at the PhD level. It has seeped into other academic honours as well, with individuals parading themselves as ‘Professors’ despite having no teaching, research, or intellectual experience.
There are those in society who shamelessly append ‘Professor’ to their names without ever setting foot in a university as an educator, researcher, or intellectual.
Some adopt the title simply because it has been given to them out of admiration or, worse, self-granted. This is a shameful mockery of the academic profession.
The title of ‘Professor’ is supposed to be earned through decades of teaching, research, and contribution to knowledge development. It is not a token of social status or a label to be casually adopted. Universities and professional bodies should be vigilant in ensuring that only those who have genuinely earned the title through scholarly work and academic service can claim it. Anything less is a disgrace to academia and a betrayal of students who look to professors as role models and mentors.
We must ask ourselves: What kind of society are we building if we allow these corrupt practices to flourish? What happens when individuals in positions of authority hold titles they have not earned? The answer is clear: we create a culture of mediocrity. When PhD holders cannot defend their ideas or contribute meaningfully to their fields, the quality of education, research, and thought leadership declines. When professors are professors in name only, students are robbed of the opportunity to learn from the best minds in their disciplines.
Furthermore, the proliferation of unearned PhDs and fake professors erodes public trust in the academic system. Employers who once viewed a PhD as a guarantee of competence and expertise are increasingly sceptical of the qualifications of so-called ‘doctors.’
This scepticism extends to the university system, as the lines between genuine scholarship and academic fraud become blurred. In the long term, this will have disastrous consequences for knowledge production, innovation, and societal progress.
We strongly believes that addressing this crisis rests squarely with universities and academic institutions. Universities must reaffirm their commitment to academic excellence by upholding the integrity of their PhD programmes.
They must end the commercialization of the doctorate and ensure that only those who have demonstrated intellectual rigour, critical thinking, and original research are awarded the title of Doctor. Supervisors and faculty members must act as guardians of academic standards, not facilitators of academic fraud.
Academic institutions should also introduce stricter regulations to prevent the use of thesis contractors and other forms of academic outsourcing. Paying someone else to write a dissertation is not only unethical but also an affront to the values of higher education. Universities must ensure that doctoral candidates conduct their own research, generate their own ideas, and produce original work.
Lastly, there must be consequences for those who abuse academic titles. Whether it is someone falsely claiming to be a professor or a university awarding unearned PhDs, there must be penalties for those who undermine the integrity of the academic system. If we fail to hold individuals and institutions accountable, the erosion of academic credibility will continue unchecked.
In conclusion, this newspaper reiterates that the proliferation of unearned PhD degrees and academic titles is a stain on the integrity of higher education. It devalues the hard work of genuine scholars and undermines the credibility of the academic system.
Universities must act decisively to restore the honour and integrity of the PhD process. Only then can we hope to reverse the alarming trend of academic mediocrity and restore trust in the pursuit of knowledge.
Credit THENIGERIA
