An investigation by PREMIUM TIMES has raised questions over the professorial title publicly used by Anthony Kila, the Pro-Chancellor of Michael and Cecilia Ibru University (MCIU), with the newspaper reporting that no recognised academic institution has been found to have awarded him the rank of professor.
Kila, who was appointed Pro-Chancellor of MCIU in August 2025, has for years been publicly described as a professor and, in some profiles and media reports, as a “Jean Monnet Professor of Strategy and Development.”
However, PREMIUM TIMES said its investigation found no evidence that Kila had been awarded a professorial rank by a recognised university or academic institution.
The newspaper also reported that questions had emerged over some of the academic qualifications and positions listed on Kila’s profiles on the websites of MCIU and the Centre for International Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS).
Kila occupies a senior position within the university system. As Pro-Chancellor, he chairs the governing council of MCIU, the body responsible for broad oversight of the institution, including administration, policy implementation, finances and university assets.
His public profiles describe him as a jurist, scholar, author, professional and public commentator. He has also appeared regularly on Nigerian television and in newspapers to discuss national and international issues, with several media organisations introducing him as “Professor Anthony Kila.”
Some publications have described him as a professor of political science, while others have referred to him as the “Jean Monnet Professor of Strategy and Development.”
According to PREMIUM TIMES, however, its investigation found no recognised academic institution that had awarded Kila the professorial rank.
Kila’s explanation
In response to questions from the newspaper, Kila reportedly said he obtained his professorial title from the European Centre for Advanced and Professional Studies (ECAPS), which he said was based in Cambridge, United Kingdom.
He told PREMIUM TIMES that ECAPS awarded him the professorship in 2016 and also conferred on him the designation “Jean Monnet Professor of Strategy and Development.”
The newspaper said it subsequently searched the UK Companies House, Nigeria’s Corporate Affairs Commission and publicly available online sources but could not find evidence of the existence of ECAPS.
According to the report, the searches did not produce an identifiable website, social media presence, physical address, alumni network or corporate registration record for the institution.
The investigation therefore questioned the basis for the professorial title attributed to Kila in his public profiles.
Kila’s profile on the MCIU website reportedly identifies him as “Prof. Anthony Kila,” while his profile on the CIAPS website also uses the title.
The newspaper said the title has similarly appeared in interviews and reports involving Kila across several Nigerian media organisations.
Questions over Jean Monnet designation
The investigation also examined Kila’s claim that he is a “Jean Monnet Professor of Strategy and Development.”
The Jean Monnet designation is associated with the European Union’s Jean Monnet Actions, a programme under the EU’s Erasmus+ framework designed to support teaching, research and debate concerning European integration and related subjects.
PREMIUM TIMES contacted the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), which administers the programme, to establish whether Kila appeared in its records.
According to the newspaper, the Jean Monnet team said Kila did not appear as a Jean Monnet project coordinator in the publicly accessible directory.
The agency reportedly stated that, within the period for which coordinator information was publicly available, Kila had not been listed as holding the position since 2015.
The newspaper also sought the opinion of Jean-Marc Trouille, a professor and co-chair of the AfriquEurope Jean Monnet Network, as well as Director of the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence on the EU and Regional Integration in the East African Community.
Trouille reportedly described Kila’s claimed status as highly unlikely, saying he was not aware of any Jean Monnet Chair award held by Kila.
He said he had searched for Jean Monnet activity involving Kila and identified the University of Lagos as having the only Jean Monnet module in Nigeria known to him, with Kila not listed among the members of the team.
According to the report, Kila acknowledged that he was not associated with the Jean Monnet Actions but did not explain how the designation “Jean Monnet Professor” came to be attached to his name.
What qualifies someone as a professor?
The professorial rank is generally the highest academic rank within the university system.
In Nigeria, the National Universities Commission (NUC) sets standards governing academic appointments and promotions in universities.
According to the NUC material cited by PREMIUM TIMES, the requirements for attaining professorship include appropriate academic qualifications, teaching and research experience, scholarly publications, postgraduate supervision and contributions to knowledge.
The NUC states that a doctorate in the candidate’s area of specialisation is the first-level qualification required for consideration.
The commission also provides for academic experience across several ranks before an individual can be considered for promotion to professor. These include Lecturer II, Lecturer I, Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor.
According to the criteria cited in the report, a candidate would ordinarily spend at least three years at each of those ranks in teaching, research and community service, meaning that the conventional progression towards professorship involves extensive university-based academic experience.
PREMIUM TIMES said it found no evidence that Kila had taught at a university in Nigeria or abroad or that he had been awarded a professorial rank through such an academic career.
MCIU response
The investigation also sought clarification from Michael and Cecilia Ibru University concerning Kila’s academic title.
A spokesperson for the university reportedly said MCIU had no evidence establishing that Kila was not a professor.
PREMIUM TIMES said it initially contacted Thomas Kolo, a former Registrar of the university, seeking access to the institution’s spokesperson. Kolo subsequently passed the phone to an individual who identified himself as the university spokesperson but did not provide his name.
The spokesperson declined to engage the newspaper on the details of its findings, saying the university would respond if necessary after publication.
The controversy comes as Kila continues to serve as Pro-Chancellor of MCIU, a position that places him at the head of the university’s governing council.
The findings have therefore raised broader questions about the verification of academic titles used by senior figures within Nigeria’s higher education sector, particularly where such titles appear on official institutional websites and are subsequently adopted by media organisations.
For now, Kila maintains that the professorship was awarded to him by ECAPS. PREMIUM TIMES, however, reports that it could not independently establish the existence of the institution or verify the claimed academic award.
The newspaper’s investigation also found that the European Union agency responsible for the Jean Monnet programme did not list Kila as a Jean Monnet project coordinator in its publicly available records.
The questions surrounding the titles are therefore likely to remain a subject of public and academic scrutiny, particularly given Kila’s position as Pro-Chancellor of a Nigerian university and the prominence of the academic credentials attached to his name.
This version is structured for a Nigerian news website, with the key claims attributed to the investigation and the responses from Kila, MCIU and the Jean Monnet authorities clearly separated.
