|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Claim: Lateef Adedimeji bags a doctorate from an international university.
Verdict: Indeed, Mr Adedimeji received an honorary doctorate from Estam University, Benin. Nevertheless, he did not fulfil the standard academic requirements as suggested by the claimant. The claim is misleading.
Full Text
In a recent Facebook post, Nollywood Picturestv, a notable entertainment blog, asserted that the acclaimed Nollywood actor Lateef Adedimeji has “bagged” a prestigious doctorate at an international university.
The claim reads: “‘Congratulations To Me, I Am Now a Certified PhD Graduate’ –Popular Actor, Lateef Adedimeji Rejoice As He Bagged Doctorate Degree From An International University.”
The post has ignited a debate among Facebook users. While some extended congratulatory messages, others contend that Mr Adedimeji’s degree is honorary, stirring differing opinions.
DUBAWA conducted this fact check to get the points right.
Verification
We conducted a Google keyword search and discovered a DailyTrust article affirming that Mr Adedimeji was bestowed with an honorary Doctorate Degree from Estam University in Cotonou, Benin.
Likewise, the recipient shared posts announcing this event on his verified Instagram and X handle. DUBAWA vetted his contents but did not find a place where he claimed to have fulfilled any academic prerequisites to merit this honour.
In his words, he said:
“I have a new title, one I couldn’t have imagined would come without me facing invigilators and keeping late nights to study…
“The irony is really interesting. I burn midnight candles to master my lines and perfect my expressions. Now, I’m getting rewarded with what could have been if I had done it for classroom reasons.
“I humbly reintroduce myself; I AM DR. ABDULLATEEF ADEDIMEJI ADETOLA, Doctor of Philosophy in Art and Culture from Estam University, Benin.”
Upon visiting Estam University’s Instagram page, we found an official announcement describing Mr Adedimeji’s degree as an “Honoris Causa Degree.” Not only that, this institution also bestowed similar accolades upon notable individuals such as Nigerian actor Gabriel Afolayan, music promoter Abisoye Obayan, and Joyce Gagaoghene, Managing Director of Becktone Oil and Gas Limited.
According to West Virginia University, honorary degrees are conferred “honoris causa,” a Latin term meaning “for the sake of honour.”
Hence, by employing terms like “bagged” and “PhD graduate” in its Facebook post, Nollywood Picturestv exaggerated Mr Adedimeji’s doctorate. These expressions usually imply the fulfilment of conventional academic criteria rather than an honorary acknowledgement.
Conclusion
Our findings indicated that while an honorary doctorate was awarded to Mr Adedimeji, he did not complete traditional academic requirements as inferred by the claimant. Hence, the claim is misleading.
