President John Dramani Mahama has built an impressive international profile of academic recognition, accumulating nine honorary doctorates from institutions across Africa, Europe, Asia and North America.
The list of honours spans over a decade, beginning in 2012 when Ekiti State University in Nigeria conferred an honorary Doctorate in Public Administration on him while he served as Vice-President.
Three years later, in October 2015, the University of Ilorin, also in Nigeria, awarded him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.
In March 2016, the University of Aberdeen in Scotland conferred an honorary Doctor of Laws degree on him at a ceremony held at King's College.
Taking to Facebook, he wrote: "It is, indeed, a great honour, but I wish to remain and be addressed as Mr John Dramani Mahama and not Dr Mahama. Thanks - JM." This decision to eschew the title predated the recent Ghana Tertiary Education Commission's crackdown on the unauthorised use of honorary doctorate titles.
In November 2018, Igbinedion University in Okada, Nigeria, presented him with an honorary doctorate in letters during its convocation ceremony.
The following month, on December 5, 2018, Lyon Business School in France honoured him with an honorary doctorate in recognition of his leadership and contributions.
The year 2026 has proved to be a significant one for further accolades.
On March 13, Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, conferred an honorary Doctor of Philosophy in Public Administration on him, with University President Yoon Dong-sup and Graduate School Dean Kim Hyun-chul presiding.
However, later that same month, Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, USA, cancelled plans to confer an honorary doctorate on him and called off his scheduled campus visit.
He became the first sitting Head of State to receive an honorary doctorate from the Russian University of Transport, recognised for his leadership and contributions to transport and logistics infrastructure.
On the same day, the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, also known as Patrice Lumumba University, awarded him a Doctor Honoris Causa for his contributions to international cooperation and solidarity between Africa and Russia.
What is an honorary doctorate
An honorary doctorate is a ceremonial award conferred by a university to recognise an individual's outstanding contributions to a specific field or to society, rather than an academic qualification earned through study or research.
Unlike a traditional PhD, it does not require coursework, examinations, or a thesis, and recipients are typically chosen for their exceptional achievements in areas such as public service, leadership, philanthropy, science, arts, or business.
While the honour carries prestige and allows the recipient to use the designation "Honoris Causa" or "h.c." after their name, it is generally not considered an academic credential, and many institutions and regulatory bodies explicitly state that honorary degree holders should not adopt the title "Doctor" in professional or academic contexts.
Breakdown
- 4 in 2026 alone
Countries
- 2 from Russia,
- 3 from Nigerian
List of universities
1. Ekiti State University, Nigeria - 2012
2. University of Ilorin, Nigeria - 2015
3. University of Aberdeen in Scotland, 2016
4. Igbinedion University in Okada, Nigeria - 2018
5. Lyon Business School in France - 2018
6. Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea - 2016
7. Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, USA - 2026
8. Russian University of Transport in Moscow - 2026
9. Peoples' Friendship University of Russia in Moscow - 2026
