The latest findings follow an earlier investigation by the newspaper, which reported that Kila’s claim to the title of professor was unsupported by the institutions and agencies contacted during its inquiries.
The revelations have intensified scrutiny of the academic and professional credentials of the political analyst, who has appeared regularly in public discussions on governance, leadership, transparency and accountability.
According to the newspaper’s five-month investigation, several universities either disowned the qualifications attributed to them or confirmed that they had never offered the academic programmes Kila claimed to have completed.
When confronted with the findings, Kila reportedly said he was still compiling his academic and professional documents and could not provide the requested evidence within the newspaper’s deadline.
“I am currently putting together my academic and professional documents, and they will be ready soon,” he reportedly stated in an email response.
Multiple qualifications under scrutiny
In a list of academic credentials he provided to PREMIUM TIMES, Kila claimed to have obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Classical Studies from Università per Stranieri in Italy in 1989, followed by a Master of Arts degree in European Studies from the same institution in 1991.
He also claimed a Postgraduate Diploma in Media and Communication from the University of Essex in 1992 and a Master of Science degree in International Banking and Finance from City University London, now known as City St George’s, University of London, in 1994.
His list further included a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Political Economy from the University of Perugia in 1997 and a Master of Business Administration degree from Aston University in Birmingham in 2002.
Kila also claimed to have earned a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education from the University of Cambridge in 2006 and a Master of Laws degree from the same institution in 2009.
However, the newspaper reported that its enquiries to the relevant institutions raised substantial doubts about the authenticity of several of these qualifications.
The investigation also identified inconsistencies between Kila’s public profile and the résumé he supplied to the newspaper.
For instance, his public profile reportedly stated that he graduated with a first-class degree in political economy and later specialised in political anthropology. However, the résumé he provided listed his first degree as a BA in Classical Studies from an Italian institution, without identifying the claimed first-class degree in political economy.
The discrepancies prompted the newspaper to seek confirmation directly from the universities named in his academic history.
Universities dispute or contradict degree claims
One of the institutions contacted, Aston University, reportedly stated that it had no record of Kila studying for an MBA.
“There is no record in Aston University’s student registry of an Anthony Kila studying for an MBA,” a university spokesperson reportedly told the newspaper.
City St George’s, University of London, also provided information that differed from Kila’s account of obtaining an MSc in International Banking and Finance in 1994.
According to the institution, its records showed that Kila enrolled in a one-year Banking and International Finance programme in September 2000, with an expected completion date in October 2001.
However, the university said he was deregistered from the course in June 2001 and did not complete it.
The discrepancy raises questions about how Kila’s claimed 1994 qualification relates to the university’s records of his enrolment several years later.
The University of Essex also reportedly contradicted his claim to have obtained a postgraduate diploma in Media and Communication in 1992.
In a response to the newspaper, the institution stated that it did not offer the programme and had never offered it in the past.
The University of Perugia similarly raised concerns about his claimed PhD in Political Economy.
The university reportedly explained that its Department of Economics offered a doctoral programme in Economics, Institutions, Business and Quantitative Methods, rather than the PhD in Political Economy that Kila claimed to have obtained in 1997.
Its political science department also offered doctoral specialisations that did not include the qualification he listed.
Italian university records raise further questions
The investigation also examined Kila’s claimed bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Università per Stranieri in Perugia, Italy.
The newspaper reported that the institution’s historical records did not support his claim to have earned a BA in Classical Studies in 1989 and an MA in European Studies in 1991.
According to the investigation, the university began offering bachelor’s degree programmes in 1992 and postgraduate degrees after 1999. Before those developments, its offerings consisted mainly of non-degree courses relating to Italian language, literature, art history and music history.
The newspaper also contacted Università per Stranieri in Siena, another Italian institution with a similar name.
According to the report, the Siena institution’s available programmes did not include the specific bachelor’s and master’s degrees Kila claimed to have obtained.
These findings formed part of the newspaper’s broader effort to verify the qualifications against institutional records rather than relying solely on publicly available biographies.
Cambridge qualifications remain unverified
Kila’s claimed qualifications from the University of Cambridge also came under scrutiny.
The newspaper reported that Cambridge had not responded to its specific enquiry about his claimed Master of Laws degree in 2009.
However, the investigation questioned the plausibility of the claim because the university’s stated admission requirements for the programme generally required applicants to possess a first-class law degree or demonstrate exceptional academic standing.
The newspaper said it found no evidence that Kila had obtained a law degree, either in the résumé he provided or in his public profile.
His claimed Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education from Cambridge in 2006 also raised questions.
According to the report, the university offered a related qualification known as the Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, but the programme began in 2017, years after Kila’s claimed award date.
The programme was also described as being intended for Cambridge teaching staff with at least three years of experience in higher education.
The newspaper said it found no evidence that Kila had taught at Cambridge or met the programme’s stated eligibility requirements. Nevertheless, the university’s failure to respond to the specific degree enquiry means that the claims should be distinguished from qualifications directly contradicted by institutional records.
Earlier investigation exposed professorial claim
The scrutiny of Kila’s degrees followed an earlier PREMIUM TIMES investigation into his claim to be a professor and a Jean Monnet Professor of Strategy and Development.
Kila reportedly told the newspaper that the European Centre for Advanced and Professional Studies awarded him the professorship in 2016.
However, the investigation found that the organisation could not be established as an existing institution. The European Education and Culture Executive Agency, which administers the European Union’s Jean Monnet actions, also reportedly disclaimed knowledge of his claimed Jean Monnet professorship.
Following the initial exposé, Michael and Cecilia Ibru University suspended Kila from his position as pro-chancellor, which he had held since August 2025.
The newspaper said Kila had previously directed its reporter to a profile on the website of the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies, an organisation he controls. The university had also published the profile before removing it following the investigation.
Kila responds to the allegations
Responding to the latest findings, Kila reportedly expressed frustration with the newspaper’s continued scrutiny and said he was contacting the institutions associated with his academic history.
“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 in an email cited by the newspaper.
He added that compiling his academic and professional records would take time and could not be completed within the deadline set by the publication.
The report did not establish whether Kila subsequently supplied documentary evidence capable of resolving the discrepancies.
The allegations have raised broader questions about the verification of academic credentials in Nigerian universities and public institutions, particularly when individuals occupy senior leadership positions or rely on academic titles in professional life.
For universities and other institutions, the controversy highlights the importance of independently verifying qualifications before making appointments to positions that require academic credibility.
The findings reported by PREMIUM TIMES represent serious allegations supported by its enquiries to several institutions. Any final determination of individual responsibility, however, must take account of the available evidence, any further documentation Kila may provide and the relevant legal processes.
