The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) has issued a stern warning to Malawians and media houses to stop referring to individuals as “Doctor” or “Professor” if they were only awarded honorary degrees and did not earn them through academic studies.

NCHE Executive Director Estone Yobe Sambo made the statement in a special communication seen by Face Of Malawi.

Sambo has advised recipients of honorary degrees to refrain from calling themselves “Doctor” and urged relevant institutions and stakeholders to work together to uphold the credibility of higher education in Malawi.

He emphasized the importance of maintaining academic integrity and ensuring that proper titles are used in line with national education laws.

Among the well-known figures who have been controversially awarded honorary titles are musician Patience Namadingo, influencer Pemphero Mphande, gospel artist Favoured Martha, businessman Mansoor Sharif Karim of K Motors, and several others.

Reacting to the statement, Namadingo took to his Facebook page, writing, “Namafans ikati Doc ndi Doc basi,” meaning he will continue embracing the title despite NCHE’s stance.