PREMIUM TIMES investigation reveals Anthony Kila fabricated all claimed academic credentials
PREMIUM TIMES five-month investigation found Anthony Kila's claimed BA in Classic Studies (Università per Stranieri, Italy, 1989), MA in European Studies (same, 1991), PGD in Media and Communication (University of Essex, 1992), MSc in International Banking and Finance (City University London, 1994), PhD in Political Economy (University of Perugia, 1997), MBA (Aston University, 2002), PGCE (Cambridge, 2006), and LLM (Cambridge, 2009) are all false. Aston University confirmed no MBA record, noting he enrolled in Banking and International Finance 2000-2001 but was deregistered June 2001. Essex stated it never offered the PGD program. Perugia's economics department confirmed it doesn't award PhDs in Political Economy. Università per Stranieri (Perugia and Siena) showed it never offered BA in Classic Studies or MA in European Studies, only introducing such degrees after the Bologna Process (BA from 1992). Cambridge's PGCE doesn't exist—the closest qualification started in 2017.
This follows exposé of his fake professorship via non-existent European Centre for Advanced and Professional Studies (ECAPS), which administers Jean Monnet actions (EACEA) also disowned. The findings led to his suspension as Pro-Chancellor of Michael and Cecilia Ibru University (MCIU) in August 2025, despite his regular TV/radio appearances advocating honesty and transparency.
When contacted, Kila said he was 'still gathering documents.' This case underscores critical gaps in credential verification for Nigerian academic leaders. What verification steps should institutions implement when appointing leaders to prevent such fraud?