An investigation by PREMIUM TIMES has uncovered major discrepancies in the academic qualifications claimed by Anthony Kila, the suspended Pro-Chancellor of Michael and Cecilia Ibru University (MCIU), with enquiries reportedly showing that some of the universities he listed never offered the programmes he claimed to have completed.
In the second part of its five-month investigation into Mr Kila’s academic credentials, the newspaper reported on Saturday, October 10, 2026, that some universities disowned the qualifications attributed to them, while others said they had never offered the programmes he claimed to have studied.
The findings follow an earlier PREMIUM TIMES investigation that challenged his claim to professorial status, which he had publicly used for years. The latest report extends the scrutiny to his undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral qualifications, raising further questions about his academic history.
Universities Dispute Kila’s Claimed Degrees
According to PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Kila claimed to have obtained eight academic qualifications from institutions in Italy and the United Kingdom between 1989 and 2009.
His listed qualifications included a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Classic Studies in 1989 and a Master of Arts (MA) in European Studies in 1991, both attributed to Università per Stranieri in Italy. He also claimed a Postgraduate Diploma in Media and Communication from the University of Essex in 1992 and a Master of Science in International Banking and Finance from City University London, now City St George’s, University of London, in 1994.
The newspaper further reported that Mr Kila claimed to have earned a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Political Economy from the University of Perugia in 1997 and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Aston University, Birmingham, in 2002. His other claimed qualifications were a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education in 2006 and a Master of Laws (LLM) in 2009, both attributed to the University of Cambridge.
However, PREMIUM TIMES said its enquiries uncovered discrepancies between the qualifications listed by Mr Kila and information obtained from the institutions concerned.
The University of Essex reportedly confirmed that it had never offered the Postgraduate Diploma in Media and Communication that Mr Kila claimed to have obtained in 1992. The University of Perugia also told the newspaper that its economics department did not award doctoral degrees in Political Economy, although it offered a PhD programme in Economics.
Further enquiries into Università per Stranieri in Perugia reportedly revealed that the institution did not offer the BA in Classic Studies or MA in European Studies during the periods Mr Kila claimed to have attended. According to the newspaper, historical records showed that the university began offering bachelor’s degrees in 1992 and postgraduate degrees after 1999.
The investigation also examined the possibility that Mr Kila attended the Università per Stranieri in Siena. However, the institution reportedly provided a list of its degree programmes that did not include the courses he claimed to have studied.
PREMIUM TIMES said other universities initially cited data-protection restrictions when asked to verify his records. Nevertheless, its enquiries established that some of the programmes attributed to the institutions had never been offered.
Conflicting Profiles and Kila’s Response
The investigation also uncovered discrepancies between Mr Kila’s publicly available professional profile and the list of qualifications he supplied to PREMIUM TIMES.
According to the newspaper, Mr Kila referred its reporter to a profile published on the website of the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS), an organisation he controls. Michael and Cecilia Ibru University had also published the profile before removing it following the initial investigation into his professorial claim.
The profile listed several qualifications but did not identify the institutions where he obtained them or provide a detailed academic history. It stated that he had studied in Cambridge, London, Perugia and Suffolk and graduated with a first-class degree in Political Economy before specialising in Political Anthropology.
However, the résumé he subsequently supplied to the newspaper listed his first degree as a BA in Classic Studies from Università per Stranieri in Italy. It did not mention the first-class degree in Political Economy described in the profile.
When confronted with the investigation’s findings, Mr Kila reportedly said he was still compiling his academic and professional documents and could not immediately provide evidence of the qualifications.
“I am currently putting together my academic and professional documents, and they will be ready soon,” he told PREMIUM TIMES in an email.
His response came amid mounting scrutiny following the newspaper’s earlier report on his professorial title. In a separate response to the earlier allegations, Mr Kila rejected the characterisation of him as a fake professor and maintained that he was entitled to the title, while indicating that he had instructed his lawyers to review the publication and advise him on possible legal steps.
Professorial Controversy Leads to Suspension
PREMIUM TIMES said its investigation into Mr Kila’s academic background began about five months ago with enquiries into his claim to professorial rank.
According to the newspaper, Mr Kila said the European Centre for Advanced and Professional Studies (ECAPS) appointed him a professor and a Jean Monnet Professor of Strategy and Development in 2016. However, the investigation found no evidence that ECAPS existed, while the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), which administers the European Union’s Jean Monnet actions, reportedly disowned his claimed Jean Monnet professorship.
The revelations triggered consequences at Michael and Cecilia Ibru University, where Mr Kila had served as pro-chancellor since August 2025. PREMIUM TIMES reported that the institution suspended him days after the initial investigation was published.
The latest findings have broadened the controversy beyond his professorial title to encompass the academic qualifications he claimed to have obtained over two decades. They have also renewed questions about the verification of credentials held by individuals occupying senior positions in higher education.
However, the investigation’s findings, the responses attributed to the universities and Mr Kila’s stated intention to compile his records remain central to the unfolding matter. Any documentary evidence he subsequently provides, alongside further clarification from the institutions concerned, could help establish the facts surrounding the qualifications under scrutiny.
Source and credit: This report is based on an investigation by Qosim Suleiman, published by PREMIUM TIMES on October 10, 2026. Read the “original investigation” (https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/915771-investigation-how-anthony-kila-falsified-all-his-academic-qualifications-from-bachelors-to-doctorate.html).
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