MCIU Removes Anthony Kila Fake Professor From Pro-Chancellor Role

• The Michael and Cecilia Ibru University (MCIU) removed its pro-chancellor, Anthony Kila, from its website.
• This action followed a PREMIUM TIMES investigation exposing Anthony Kila as a "fake professor."
• Kila had falsely claimed to be a "Jean Monnet Professor" and cited a non-existent institution for his professorship.
• The European Education and Culture Executive Agency confirmed Kila had no affiliation with the Jean Monnet program.
• Kila maintained his legitimacy but provided no evidence and threatened legal action against the publication.
• MCIU has formally suspended Anthony Kila as Pro-Chancellor pending an investigation into his professorial status.

This incident underscores the critical importance of robust due diligence processes for educational institutions and corporate boards when making senior appointments.

The Michael and Cecilia Ibru University (MCIU) has removed all online references to its pro-chancellor, Anthony Kila, from its official website. This decisive action, observed around 7 p.m. on Monday, saw the complete deletion of Mr. Kila's name, profile, and photographs, effectively erasing his digital presence from the institution's platform. The move by MCIU comes in the wake of a detailed investigation by PREMIUM TIMES, which brought to light allegations that Mr. Kila, who has served as the university's pro-chancellor since August 2025, had falsely presented himself as a professor.

Prior to his removal, Mr. Kila's biographical details were prominently featured on the university's website, appearing alongside those of the proprietress, Cecilia Ibru, a former banker and chief executive officer of the now-defunct Oceanic Bank, and the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ibiyinka Fuwape. Following the removal of Mr. Kila's information, the university formally announced that Anthony Kila has been asked to step aside from his responsibilities as Pro-Chancellor, pending an investigation into his professorial status. This decision, announced on Tuesday, reflects the university's commitment to academic integrity and institutional governance.

The core of the controversy stems from PREMIUM TIMES' investigation into Anthony Kila's academic background, which revealed that he had been publicly claiming the title of "professor" for over a decade. During this period, he frequently participated in public events and appeared on national television, consistently using the distinguished academic rank. Crucially, the investigation found no evidence that Mr. Kila had ever been formally awarded this academic status. Specifically, he had falsely presented himself as a "Jean Monnet Professor of Strategy and Development" for many years, a title associated with European Union studies.

In response to inquiries, Mr. Kila asserted that his professorship was conferred in 2016 by the European Centre for Advanced and Professional Studies (ECAPS), an institution he claimed was based in Cambridge, United Kingdom. However, a thorough search conducted by PREMIUM TIMES yielded no evidence of ECAPS' existence. Comprehensive checks across official registries such as the UK Companies House and Nigeria's Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), alongside general online searches, failed to uncover any trace of the institution, including a functional website, social media presence, physical address, or alumni records. Furthermore, the European Education and Culture Executive Agency, which oversees the legitimate Jean Monnet Actions, explicitly disavowed any affiliation between Mr. Kila and the Jean Monnet program, confirming that he had not been awarded a Jean Monnet Professorship. This raises serious questions about academic credential verification in Nigeria and internationally.

When confronted with the investigation's findings, Mr. Kila largely sidestepped the specific questions regarding his academic credentials. While he maintained that he is a legitimate professor, he failed to provide any verifiable evidence of the institution that purportedly awarded him the professorial rank. He attributed the report's conclusions to "an incomplete understanding of the nature, origin and institutional basis" of his professorship. In a further development, Mr. Kila announced that he had engaged legal counsel to review the publication and subsequent dissemination of these allegations, indicating his intention to pursue appropriate legal steps to safeguard his reputation and professional standing.

This incident underscores the critical importance of robust due diligence processes for educational institutions and corporate boards when making senior appointments. The significant reputational and potential legal risks associated with inadequate verification of academic or professional credentials, particularly for high-profile roles like a pro-chancellor, are evident. Lawyers advising such entities should note the necessity of implementing stringent compliance measures for all executive and board-level positions to mitigate exposure to fraud and public scandal, emphasizing the need for thorough academic credential verification in Nigeria and beyond.

Lawyers advising educational institutions or corporate boards should note the significant reputational and potential legal risks associated with inadequate due diligence on senior appointments, particularly regarding academic or professional credentials. Compliance officers must implement robust verification processes for all executive and board-level positions to mitigate exposure to fraud and public scandal.

Source: Original reporting via PREMIUM TIMES