A fresh layer has been added to the controversy surrounding the professorship of Anthony Kila, as the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission reportedly constitutes a team to investigate the disputed academic title.
The move follows a reported investigation which questioned Kila’s claim to be a professor and a Jean Monnet Professor of Strategy and Development, despite his position as Pro-Chancellor of Michael and Cecilia Ibru University in Delta State.
A source within the anti-corruption agency says the ICPC leadership is concerned by the allegations, particularly because Kila heads the governing council of a Nigerian university.
The source says the inquiry will go beyond determining whether Kila falsely presented himself as a professor.
The commission is also expected to examine whether Michael and Cecilia Ibru University relied on his professorial status in official documents, engagements or representations, and whether the institution obtained any advantage from the title.
It will further seek to establish how Kila acquired and used the disputed designation, the institutions involved and whether any official benefit was derived from the claim.
However, the ICPC spokesperson, John Odey, says he is not aware of the development but promises to verify it with the relevant department.
Controversy over Kila’s academic title
Kila has publicly used the title of professor for more than a decade and has been introduced as one at public events and on television programmes.
His profile on the Michael and Cecilia Ibru University website previously described him as a Jean Monnet Professor of Strategy and Development and identified him as the institution’s Pro-Chancellor.
Responding to the allegations, Kila says they stem from what he considers an incomplete understanding of the nature, origin and institutional basis of his professorship.
He maintains that the title was awarded to him in 2016 by the European Centre for Advanced and Professional Studies, which he says is based in Cambridge, United Kingdom.
The investigation, however, reports that searches of the UK Companies House, Nigeria’s Corporate Affairs Commission and other online sources produced no evidence of the institution, including a verifiable website, physical address, social media presence or alumni records.
Further questions arose over Kila’s claimed Jean Monnet affiliation, with the European Education and Culture Executive Agency, which manages the European Union’s Jean Monnet Actions, reportedly denying any affiliation between Kila and the programme or any award of a Jean Monnet Professorship to him.
Kila has rejected the description of him as a fake professor, insisting that he is prepared to make documents relating to his academic status available for scrutiny.
He has also instructed his lawyers to review the publication and subsequent dissemination of the allegations and advise him on possible legal steps to protect his reputation and professional standing.
Kila threatens legal action
While challenging the findings, Kila describes the report as inaccurate, misleading and damaging, arguing that the claims do not adequately reflect the basis on which he obtained his professorial title.
He says the matter should be assessed against the relevant facts and supporting documents, which he is willing to provide.
Despite this position, reports indicate that he has yet to publicly release documents establishing the institution that allegedly awarded him the professorial rank or independently verify the status of the European Centre for Advanced and Professional Studies, which he says conferred the title in 2016.
The dispute has now taken on a wider dimension with the reported ICPC interest, particularly over whether the designation was used in connection with the affairs of Michael and Cecilia Ibru University.
University removes Kila’s profile
Against this backdrop, Michael and Cecilia Ibru University has removed Kila’s name, profile and photographs from its official website.
Kila was appointed Pro-Chancellor of the university in August 2025 and previously featured on its leadership page alongside the university’s proprietress, Cecilia Ibru, and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ibiyinka Fuwape.
The institution has not publicly explained the removal or issued a substantive response to the allegations.
The Vice-Chancellor, Fuwape, had earlier indicated that the university would respond after its governing council considered the issues raised by the investigation.
The disappearance of Kila’s profile from the university’s website comes as attention increasingly turns to the institution’s presentation of his credentials and whether his disputed academic status had any official implications.
Questions over academic credentials
The concerns are not limited to the professorial title.
The PREMIUM TIMES investigation reports inconsistencies in academic profiles attributed to Kila, including differences in descriptions of his first degree and other qualifications across platforms associated with him.
The report says verification of some of his claimed educational credentials is still ongoing, while questions remain over the basis of his professorial designation.
Kila, for his part, continues to maintain that he is a professor and disputes the findings of the investigation.
With the reported ICPC inquiry, the issue has moved beyond questions about an academic title to broader concerns over how Kila’s credentials were obtained, presented and potentially relied upon by an institution.
The outcome of the inquiry could determine whether the matter remains an academic credentials dispute or develops into a case involving alleged misrepresentation and possible institutional benefit.
