Professor Anthony Kila, Pro-Chancellor of Michael and Cecilia Ibru University (MCIU), Delta State, and a popular face on several national television stations across the country as a guest analyst, has rejected a report describing him as a “fake professor”, insisting that he remains a professor and stands by the academic and professional credentials supporting his title.
Kila, who is also Director of the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS), made the position known in a statement on Sunday, October 4, 2026, in response to an investigation published by a prominent online news outlet last week.
The newspaper had reported that its investigation found no evidence that a recognised academic institution had awarded Kila the rank of professor. It further questioned some of the academic qualifications and professional designations contained in his public profiles.
The report said Kila had told the newspaper that the European Centre for Advanced and Professional Studies (ECAPS), which he said was based in Cambridge, United Kingdom, awarded him the professorship in 2016. The newspaper, however, said its searches of the UK Companies House, Nigeria’s Corporate Affairs Commission and other sources found no evidence of the institution’s existence.
The investigation also questioned Kila’s description as a “Jean Monnet Professor of Strategy and Development”, reporting that the European Education and Culture Executive Agency did not list him as a Jean Monnet project coordinator.
But in rejecting the allegations, Kila said: “For the avoidance of doubt, I am a professor, and I stand by the title and the professional and academic credentials on which it is based.”
He described the newspaper’s characterisation as inaccurate, misleading and damaging to his reputation and professional standing, arguing that the report reflected what he considered an incomplete understanding of the nature, origin and institutional basis of his professorship.
Kila said he was prepared to make available relevant facts and documentation concerning his professorial status, adding that the matter should be assessed on the basis of evidence rather than assumptions.
He also took particular exception to the phrase “fake professor”, saying it was presented as an established fact despite, according to him, the need for proper evidence and context.
Meanwhile, MCIU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ibiyinka Fuwape, said the university would respond to the allegations after internal consultations.
Kila disclosed that he had instructed his lawyers to review the publication and subsequent dissemination of the allegations and advise him on appropriate legal steps to protect his reputation and professional standing.
“The facts and documentation will speak for themselves,” he said.
, Delta State, and a popular face on several national television stations across the country as a guest analyst, has rejected a report describing him as a “fake professor”, insisting that he remains a professor and stands by the academic and professional credentials supporting his title.){kind=link}