Anthony Kila's Fake Degrees: From Bachelor's to Doctorate

Anthony Kila, the suspended Pro-Chancellor of Michael and Cecilia Ibru University (MCIU), did not just fake his professorship. He also made up his academic records, PREMIUM TIMES has found out.

The investigation by PREMIUM TIMES that revealed him as a fake professor shocked many Nigerians and people all over the world. This includes those who have seen him on TV, heard him on the radio, or read his views in newspapers about honesty and transparency in governance.

Many people were curious about how he managed to pretend to have a fake academic title for over ten years without anyone suspecting him. Others asked why he did not just use the title 'Dr' since they believed he had a PhD.

The second part of our five-month investigation into Mr Kila’s credentials shows that he also lied about the Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate degrees he claimed to have earned from several universities in the UK and Italy. This raises serious doubts about whether he ever attended or finished any higher institution.

Mr Kila told our reporter he earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Classic Studies from Università per Stranieri, Italy, in 1989. He also said he got a Master of Arts (MA) in European Studies from the same school in 1991.

Additionally, he claimed to have a Postgraduate Diploma (PGD) in Media and Communication from the University of Essex in 1992 and a Master of Science (MSc) in International Banking and Finance from City University London in 1994.

Mr Kila also claimed he got 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.

He further claimed he earned a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCE) from Cambridge in 2006 and a Master of Laws (LLM) from the same institution in 2009.

But PREMIUM TIMES can now confirm that Mr Kila’s claims are false. All these academic qualifications, like his professorship, were fabricated.

Some universities contacted by our newspaper completely disowned him, while others stated they do not offer the programs that could lead to the certificates he claimed.

When we shared our findings with Mr Kila this week, he stated he was still gathering his academic records and could not provide proof of his degrees. "I am currently putting together my academic and professional documents, and they will be ready soon," he told our reporter via email.

The Fake Professorship

Our investigation into Mr Kila’s academic credentials began five months ago. We started by looking into his professorship, which he had publicly claimed for many years.

He told our reporter that the European Centre for Advanced and Professional Studies (ECAPS) made him a professor and a Jean Monnet Professor of Strategy and Development in 2016. But we found that the institution does not exist.

The European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), which manages the Jean Monnet actions, also denied his claims of being a Jean Monnet Professor.

Days after our report, MCIU suspended him from his role as pro-chancellor, a position he held since August 2025.

Scrutinizing Mr Kila’s Academic Qualifications

In May, after we flagged Mr Kila’s educational and professorial credentials, PREMIUM TIMES contacted him for a detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV) listing his institutions and qualifications, as well as his work history.

Mr Kila pointed our reporter to his profile on the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS) website. MCIU also published this profile but later removed it after our investigation exposed his fake professorship.

The profile did not mention which schools he attended or the qualifications he obtained. It listed several qualifications, including an LLM, an MBA, an MSc, a PhD, a PGD, and a PGCE.

"Anthony studied in Cambridge, London, Perugia, and Suffolk. He graduated with a first-class degree in political economy and later specialized in political anthropology. He has taught in various colleges and universities in Cambridge, Ipswich, Lecce, London, Perugia, and Siena," the profile stated.

The reporter then reached out to Mr Kila for his detailed CV so PREMIUM TIMES could create a proper profile. He partly complied, likely excited about the possibility of a positive story about him.

Mr Kila’s Claimed Degrees

One Thursday morning in May, Mr Kila sent a list of institutions he claimed to have attended and the qualifications he received from each.

In his brief resume, Mr Kila listed a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Classic Studies from Università per Stranieri, Italy, in 1989, and a Master of Arts (MA) in European Studies from the same institution in 1991.

He claimed a Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in Media and Communication from the University of Essex in 1992 and a Master of Science (MSc) in International Banking and Finance from City University London in 1994.

He also stated he obtained a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Political Economy from the University of Perugia in 1997, followed by a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Aston University, Birmingham, in 2002.

Mr Kila also claimed a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCE) from Cambridge in 2006 and a Master of Laws (LLM) from Cambridge in 2009.

Discrepancies

Our newspaper quickly noticed that his resume contradicted his public profile. For example, he claimed to have graduated with a first-class degree in political economy and later specialized in political anthropology. But the resume did not mention any first-class degree or any degree in political economy. Instead, it listed his first degree as BA Classic Studies from Università per Stranieri, Perugia, Italy.

So, we began to verify the degrees with each university by emailing them to confirm whether he attended and graduated with the degrees he claimed.

First Roadblock: Data Privacy Law

But the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the UK and Europe became a big hurdle in the verification process.

Between May and July, the universities said they could not respond to third-party requests due to UK and EU data protection law.

City St George’s University of London stated the information requested is personal and is not allowed to be disclosed under the UK Freedom of Information Act and the GDPR.

"To confirm whether or not the information is held would involve releasing personal data about the data subject," the university told PREMIUM TIMES.

Some universities, like Aston University and the University of Cambridge, directed our reporter to third-party verification websites like the UK’s Higher Education Diploma Datacheck (HEDD) service. But these services require the candidate, in this case Mr Kila, to give written consent for the request to proceed.

PREMIUM TIMES continued its investigation into his professorship since we had already confirmed it was fake. The EACEA already stated it had no knowledge of Mr Kila.

We also confirmed that the European Centre for Advanced and Professional Studies (ECAPS), which he said gave him the professorship in 2016, did not exist.

Renewed Scrutiny of Kila’s Degrees

After investigating his professorship, we contacted the universities again.

In these emails, we asked the universities to clarify whether they ever offered the academic programs he claimed and whether he obtained them during the time he stated.

PREMIUM TIMES explained that the information sought was in the public interest and for fact-checking.

This time, most universities replied, including City St George’s University of London, Aston University, the University of Perugia, Università per Stranieri, and Università per Stranieri, Siena.

Universities Disown Kila’s Degrees

In its response, Aston University denied Mr Kila’s 2002 Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree.

"There is no record in Aston University’s student registry of an Anthony Kila studying for an MBA," a spokesperson told our reporter.

The university said Mr Kila’s claims differ from its records.

They explained that he enrolled in a one-year Banking and International Finance program in 2000 but was ‘deregistered’ and did not complete it.

"They (Mr Kila) began their degree on 18/09/2000, with an expected end date of 31/10/2001," the university’s press office informed PREMIUM TIMES.

"Their actual end date was 30/06/2001, and they were deregistered from their course the same year. So, it seems they were on a one-year course that they did not finish." It remains unclear which bachelor’s degree Mr Kila used to enroll in the course and why he was deregistered.

Mr Kila also claimed he received a Postgraduate Diploma in Media and Communication from the University of Essex in 1992. But the university told PREMIUM TIMES that it does not offer a PGD in Media and Communications and has never offered the program.

"We do not offer this course, and we have not offered this course in the past," the university stated in a live chat with our reporter.

Non-existent Academic Programs

While other universities did not respond specifically to Mr Kila’s case, they confirmed they do not offer the programs and qualifications he claimed.

For example, the University of Perugia, where Mr Kila said he got his PhD in Political Economy in 1997, informed us that its economics department does not award doctoral degrees in political economy. They also directed our reporter to their website, which lists all their academic programs.

"The Department of Economics offers a PhD program in Economics, Institutions, Business, and Quantitative Methods," the university stated in an email to our reporter.

The university’s website also shows it has never offered a doctorate in political economy.

The university’s political science department has a PhD in four specialities: Legality, Political Cultures, Democracy and Politics/Public Policies/Globalization. There is none in political economy.

Mr Kila also claimed to have earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Classic Studies from Università per Stranieri, Italy, in 1989, and a Master of Arts in European Studies from the same university in 1991.

PREMIUM TIMES found multiple Università per Stranieri in Italy. There is one in Perugia and one in Siena. Although Mr Kila claimed he attended the one in Perugia, we contacted both.

"At the following link you will find all the information relating to our undergraduate and graduate degree programs," the Perugia-based university told our reporter in an email.

A review of the institution’s historical records shows that it has never offered a BA in Classic Studies or an MA in European Studies. Yet, Mr Kila said he earned these degrees.

Our investigation revealed that the university never provided Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs during the time he claimed to have attended.

The university offers BA courses in International and Advertising Communication, Italian Language and Culture in the Digital World, Made in Italy, Food and Hospitality, and Social Sciences for Sustainability and International Cooperation.

The university offers Master’s courses in Advertising, Communication, Storytelling and Image Culture; Italian for Teaching Foreigners; International Relations and Development Cooperation; Italian Food Management and Culture; Teaching Italian as a Non-Native Language; Contemporary Journalism; and Urban and Territorial Regeneration and Resilience.

According to the university’s historical archive, it began offering Bachelor’s degrees only in 1992 and postgraduate degrees after 1999, following the implementation of the Bologna Process, which established the modern two-year graduate degree framework.

Before that, it only offered non-degree courses in Italian literature, the history of Italian art, and the history of Italian music. Yet, Mr Kila claimed he earned a BA from there in 1989 and an MA in 1991.

Even if Mr Kila claims he attended the Università per Stranieri in Siena, the courses he claims to have studied have never been offered there either.

The university told PREMIUM TIMES in an email that it offers three degree programs: Italian Language and Culture; Linguistic and Cultural Mediation; and Multilingualism, Translation and Interpreting.

At the Master’s level, the available courses are Letters, Teaching and Publishing; Linguistic Sciences and Intercultural Communication; Languages, Cooperation and Diversity; and Archaeology and Art Histories.

LLM, PGCE from Cambridge?

Mr Kila also claimed to have obtained a Master of Laws degree from the University of Cambridge in 2009.

The university has not yet replied to our enquiry. However, it is unlikely that Mr Kila attended there, as his available qualification records show he could not have been admitted.

Cambridge, one of the oldest universities in the world, is known for its strict admission requirements. A review of the LLM admission requirements found that the university requires applicants to have at least a first-class law degree.

"Successful applicants will typically be placed well within the top 10 percent of law students in their jurisdiction," the university stated.

"In exceptional and rare circumstances, you may be considered without a First Class Bachelor’s degree in Law if you can show that you are academically within the top 10 percent of lawyers in your jurisdiction."

Mr Kila would not have qualified for admission to such a program, since there’s no proof that he ever enrolled in or earned a law degree. He also did not claim one in his profile or the resume he shared with our reporter.

Mr Kila also claimed to have gotten a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCE) from the University of Cambridge in 2006. But the university does not offer such a course.

The closest qualification in education that the University of Cambridge provides is the Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching & Learning in Higher Education. It is a Master’s-level course, open only to "Cambridge teaching staff with a minimum of three years’ experience of teaching in higher education."

Since there’s no proof Mr Kila ever taught at Cambridge, he could not have enrolled in the program.

While Mr Kila said he obtained the certificate in 2006, the university’s website shows the program began only in 2017.

Kila Speaks

PREMIUM TIMES emailed these findings to Mr Kila and messaged him on his known WhatsApp number.

In his email reply, he said he was still contacting the institutions he claimed to be associated with and could not get the requested evidence in time.

"You are still on my case. I have been reading everything you have posted, and I still wonder who will benefit from my destruction," he wrote to our reporter.

"I am currently putting together my academic and professional documents, and they will be ready soon. I started contacting the institutions I am associated with on Monday, and these documents cannot be ready by Thursday, as you are requesting here. As you can imagine, gathering these documents is a top priority for me."