Scandal Rocks Academia: Anthony Kila's Fake Professorship Unmasked, Reactions Mount

A comprehensive investigation by PREMIUM TIMES has revealed that Anthony Kila, the Pro-Chancellor of the Michael and Cecilia Ibru University (MCIU) in Delta State, has no verifiable evidence to support his claims of holding a professorial title. This exposé has triggered significant reactions from the public and put the university under scrutiny regarding its due diligence processes.

The investigation, published on a Saturday, meticulously examined Mr. Kila’s academic credentials. Contrary to his public persona and claims, which often saw him presented as a “professor” and even a “Jean Monnet professor” in various television and newspaper interviews, as well as on the websites of MCIU and the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS), the findings were stark. No recognized academic institution was found to have awarded Mr. Kila a professorial title.

Mr. Kila had reportedly claimed that the European Centre for Advanced and Professional Studies (ECAPS), supposedly based in Cambridge, United Kingdom, conferred the professorship upon him in 2016. However, PREMIUM TIMES could find no evidence of the institution’s existence. Furthermore, the European Education and Culture Executive Agency, the body responsible for administering the European Union’s Jean Monnet programme, explicitly stated that Mr. Kila does not appear in their directory as a Jean Monnet project coordinator, directly refuting another of his key claims. The investigation also scrutinized Mr. Kila’s Google Scholar profile, which listed 22 works. Of these, nine were found not to be authored by him, and the newspaper could not independently establish any of the attributed works as peer-reviewed articles in reputable academic journals.

Following the publication of these findings, the Michael and Cecilia Ibru University faced questions regarding its association with Mr. Kila. More than 24 hours after the report, the university had yet to issue a public statement or clarify its position. Repeated attempts by PREMIUM TIMES to reach the institution through its listed contact numbers proved difficult, with lines either not connecting or being answered by individuals disassociating themselves from the university. Eventually, the Vice-Chancellor and Professor of Physics, Ibiyinka Fuwape, acknowledged the investigation, stating the university would respond soon after internal consultations and a council meeting. She was unable to provide further details or a timeline for a public response, deferring to the university’s Public Relations Officer.

Before the investigation’s publication, the university had maintained that it possessed no information contradicting Mr. Kila’s claim. A former registrar, Thomas Kolo, had directed PREMIUM TIMES to an unnamed spokesperson who asserted the university had no evidence suggesting Mr. Kila was not a professor, adding, “If there’s a need to respond, we will respond when we see the article.” The anticipated official response from MCIU is expected to address whether the institution conducted independent verification of Mr. Kila’s academic rank before associating him with the professorial title.

The investigation has generated a significant public outcry, particularly across social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and X, where it garnered thousands of likes, comments, and reshares. Nigerians expressed shock that media organizations had presented Mr. Kila as a professor for years without proper scrutiny. Many commended PREMIUM TIMES for its investigative journalism and called for similar probes into other individuals potentially parading fake credentials. Comments included strong condemnations of alleged academic fraud, with one user on X, @EduBeyondHL, suggesting prosecution for false identity. Other social media users highlighted perceived inconsistencies in Mr. Kila’s analyses, despite his articulate communication style, and pointed out discrepancies in his Google Scholar profile. A prevailing sentiment was the call for regulatory bodies like the National Universities Commission (NUC) to “wake up from its snoring slumber and do due diligence in cleaning this disgusting, messy, and unfortunate uprising in the academic environment,” underscoring the broader concerns about academic integrity in Nigeria.