Kila’s response follows an October 3 investigation by PREMIUM TIMES which questioned the basis of his professorial title and his public description as a “Jean Monnet Professor of Strategy and Development.” The investigation alleged that it could not establish that a recognised academic institution had conferred the rank of professor on him.
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Responding in a statement reported by Vanguard, Kila rejected the characterisation as inaccurate, misleading and damaging, maintaining that the controversy arose from what he described as an incomplete understanding of the nature, origin and institutional basis of his professorship.
“For the avoidance of doubt, I am a professor, and I stand by the title and the professional and academic credentials on which it is based,” he said.
Kila, who also serves as Director of the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies, said the issue should be determined on the strength of relevant facts and supporting documentation rather than what he considers a damaging characterisation.
He said he was prepared to make documents relating to his professorial status available, while objecting particularly to the description “fake professor,” which he argued had been presented as an established factual conclusion despite its serious implications for his reputation.
Kila acknowledged the responsibility of journalists to scrutinise the credentials of persons occupying positions of responsibility but maintained that such scrutiny should be fair and should proceed from a proper understanding of the underlying facts.
He also expressed surprise at the level of public attention generated by the controversy, pointing out that he does not hold government office and is not seeking political office. He thanked colleagues, students, friends and others who had contacted him following the publication to express confidence in his academic and professional background.
Kila further disclosed that he had instructed his lawyers to examine the original report and its subsequent circulation and advise him on any legal steps that might be appropriate.
“The facts and documentation will speak for themselves,” he said.
The controversy began after PREMIUM TIMES published an investigation alleging that Kila had for years been publicly presented as a professor and as a “Jean Monnet Professor of Strategy and Development” without evidence, in the newspaper’s findings, that a recognised university had awarded him the academic rank.
During the investigation, Kila reportedly told the newspaper that the professorship was conferred on him in 2016 by the European Centre for Advanced and Professional Studies, or ECAPS, which he said was based in Cambridge, United Kingdom.
PREMIUM TIMES, however, said searches of the United Kingdom’s Companies House, Nigeria’s Corporate Affairs Commission and publicly available internet records did not establish the existence of the institution through a website, physical address, social media presence or alumni records.
The newspaper also questioned Kila’s use of the “Jean Monnet Professor” designation. According to its investigation, the European Education and Culture Executive Agency, which manages the European Union’s Jean Monnet Actions, did not confirm his affiliation with the programme or the award of a Jean Monnet professorship to him.
Kila disputes the conclusions reached by the newspaper and says the relevant documentation will support his position.
His profile on the website of Michael and Cecilia Ibru University has described him as “Prof. Anthony A. Kila” and identifies him as a “Jean Monnet professor of Strategy and Development.” The profile also states that he has taught in colleges and universities in Cambridge, Ipswich, Lecce, London, Perugia and Siena.
The controversy has therefore shifted increasingly towards the documentary basis for the competing positions.
In a follow-up publication on Monday, PREMIUM TIMES said Kila’s response had not addressed what it described as key outstanding questions, including the legal or academic status and physical location of ECAPS and documentary evidence showing that the institution awarded him the professorial rank in 2016.
The newspaper said that, as of its follow-up report, Kila had not publicly produced a certificate or appointment letter showing the conferment of the title, although Kila has expressly said he is willing to make the relevant documentation available.
Michael and Cecilia Ibru University has also not yet issued a detailed public response resolving the questions surrounding the basis of the title. Its Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ibiyinka Fuwape, told PREMIUM TIMES that the university would respond after consultations, adding that the council was yet to meet on the matter.
Former Senator Babafemi Ojudu has also joined the public discussion, urging Kila to answer the allegations with verifiable academic records. Ojudu said Kila was entitled to seek legal redress but argued that a clear documentary response would assist those assessing the competing claims.
The matter therefore remains one of competing claims: PREMIUM TIMES maintains that its investigation found no verifiable basis for the professorial and Jean Monnet titles, while Kila firmly rejects that conclusion, insists that he is a professor and says the facts and documents supporting his position will ultimately speak for themselves.
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