INVESTIGATION: How Anthony Kila Faked His Academic Qualifications from Bachelor's to Doctorate

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Anthony Kila, the suspended Pro-Chancellor of Michael and Cecilia Ibru University (MCIU), did not just fake his professorship. He also falsified his academic records, according to a report by PREMIUM TIMES.

The PREMIUM TIMES investigation that exposed Kila as a fake professor shocked many Nigerians and people around the world. This includes those who have seen him on TV, heard him on the radio, or read his articles where he talks about honesty and transparency in governance.

Many people are asking how he could fake such an academic rank for over ten years without anyone noticing. Others are curious why he did not simply use the title ‘Dr’, since he claimed to have a PhD.

This second part of a five-month investigation into Mr Kila’s credentials shows that he faked his Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate degrees from several universities in the UK and Italy. This raises serious doubts about whether he ever attended any post-secondary school.

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.

He claimed a Postgraduate Diploma (PGD) in Media and Communication from the University of Essex in 1992. He also said he earned a Master of Science (MSc) in International Banking and Finance from City University London (now City St George’s, University of London) in 1994.

Additionally, Mr Kila claimed a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Political Economy from the University of Perugia in 1997. He also said he got 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 school in 2009.

But PREMIUM TIMES can now confirm that Mr Kila’s claims are false. His academic credentials, like his professorship, were all fabricated.

Some universities contacted by this newspaper denied that he ever studied there, while others said they do not offer the programs that could have led to the certificates he claimed.

When we shared our findings with Mr Kila, he said he was still gathering his academic records and could not provide proof of these 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

The investigation into Mr Kila’s academic background started five months ago, focusing on his professorship, which he claimed publicly 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. However, this newspaper found that the institution does not exist.

The European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), which handles Jean Monnet actions, also said they do not know anything about his claimed Jean Monnet Professorship.

Days after the PREMIUM TIMES report, Michael and Cecilia Ibru University (MCIU) suspended him as pro-chancellor, a position he has held since August 2025.

Looking Closer at Mr Kila’s Qualifications

In May, after the investigation raised concerns about Mr Kila’s educational and professorial claims, PREMIUM TIMES asked him for a complete Curriculum Vitae (CV) listing his schools and qualifications, along with his work history.

Mr Kila pointed our reporter to his profile on the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS) website, which he controls. MCIU also published this profile before removing it after our investigation exposed his fake professorship.

The profile did not list the schools he attended or the qualifications he received. Instead, it listed several degrees, 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 specialised 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 followed up with Mr Kila, asking him for his detailed CV so PREMIUM TIMES could create a complete profile. He partially complied, possibly looking forward to positive publicity in this newspaper.

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 obtained from each.

In the brief resume he shared, 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 (now City St George’s, University of London) in 1994.

He also claimed a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Political Economy from the University of Perugia in 1997, followed by an MBA from Aston University in 2002.

Additionally, he said he earned a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCE) from Cambridge in 2006 and an LLM from Cambridge in 2009.

Discrepancies in His Claims

This newspaper quickly noticed that the resume he shared contradicted his public profile.

For example, he claimed to have graduated with a first-class degree in political economy and then specialised in political anthropology. Yet, the resume did not mention any first-class degree or any degree in political economy. Instead, it listed his first degree as BA in Classic Studies from Università per Stranieri, Perugia, Italy.

So, we decided to verify the degrees from each university, emailing them to check if 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 made the verification process difficult.

Between May and July, universities said they could not reply to third-party requests, citing UK and EU data protection laws.

For instance, City St George’s University of London said the information sought is personal and exempt from disclosure under the UK Freedom of Information Act and the GDPR.

“To even confirm whether or not the information is held would involve the release of personal data about the data subject,” the university said in a reply to PREMIUM TIMES’ request.

Some universities, including Aston University and the University of Cambridge, referred our reporter to third-party verification websites like the UK’s Higher Education Diploma Datacheck (HEDD) service. However, these services needed Mr Kila to give written consent for the request to proceed.

PREMIUM TIMES then continued its investigation into his professorship since we had already found it to be false.

The European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), which oversees the Jean Monnet Actions, had already responded to our request, stating they knew nothing about Mr Kila.

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

Renewed Scrutiny of Kila’s Degrees

However, after investigating his professorship, this newspaper contacted the universities again.

In the 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 said.

PREMIUM TIMES informed the universities the information sought was in the public interest and for fact-checking.

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

Universities Disown Kila’s Degrees

In its reply, 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,” an Aston University spokesperson told our reporter in an email.

City St George’s University of London told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Kila’s claims do not match their records.

The university said Mr Kila enrolled in a one-year Banking and International Finance program in 2000 but was deregistered and did not finish 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 told PREMIUM TIMES.

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

Mr Kila also claimed he got a Postgraduate Diploma in Media and Communication from the University of Essex in 1992.

But the university told PREMIUM TIMES that it doesn’t offer a PGD in Media and Communications and has never offered that program.

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

Non-existent Academic Programs

While other universities did not specifically address 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 claims to have obtained his PhD in Political Economy in 1997, told this newspaper 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 said 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 offers a PhD in four specialties: Legality, Political Cultures, Democracy and Politics/Public Policies/Globalisation. There is no specialty in political economy.

Mr Kila also claimed to have obtained 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 institution in 1991.

PREMIUM TIMES found more than one 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 claimed he earned both degrees there.

Our investigation revealed that the university never offered those degree programs during the years 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 European Bologna Process, which created the modern two-year graduate degree framework.

Before then, it only offered non-degree courses in Italian literature, history of Italian art, and 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 says he 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 and 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 responded to our inquiry. However, it is unlikely that Mr Kila attended the institution, as his available qualification records show he could not have been admitted.

Cambridge, one of the oldest universities, is known for its strict admission standards. 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 per cent of law students in their jurisdiction,” the university said.

“In exceptional and rare circumstances, you may be considered without a First Class Bachelor’s degree in Law provided you can demonstrate that academically you are within the top 10 per cent of lawyers in your jurisdiction.”

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

Mr Kila also stated he earned a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education in 2006. Although he used the acronym PGCE, the qualification he listed was a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education, not a Postgraduate Certificate in Education.

The University of Cambridge does offer a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), but that is a different qualification from the one Mr Kila claimed.

The university’s closest equivalent to the qualification he mentioned 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 is no evidence Mr Kila ever taught at Cambridge, he could not have enrolled in that program.

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

Kila Responds

PREMIUM TIMES emailed these findings to Mr Kila and messaged him through his known WhatsApp line.

In his email reply, he said he was still contacting the institutions he claimed to have attended 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.”
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