Funmi Ogundare
Prof. Anthony Kila has rejected a Premium Times report describing him as a ‘fake professor’, describing the characterisation as inaccurate, misleading and damaging to his reputation and professional standing.
Kila, who is the Pro-Chancellor of Michael and Cecilia Ibru University, Delta State, and Director of the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS), made his position known in a statement responding to the publication of October 3, 2026.
“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 stated.
He argued that the report reflected what he described as an incomplete understanding of the nature, origin and institutional basis of his professorship, insisting that the matter should be assessed on the basis of relevant facts and documentation.
Kila said he would make available the relevant facts and documents concerning his professorial status, stressing that: “The facts and documentation will speak for themselves.”
He took particular exception to the description ‘fake professor’, arguing that it was presented as a factual conclusion requiring evidence and had serious implications for his reputation.
While acknowledging the role of journalism in scrutinising the credentials of individuals occupying positions of responsibility, Kila said such scrutiny should be conducted with fairness and proper understanding of the facts.
He also expressed concern over what he described as the level of attention directed at him, noting that he holds no political office, is not seeking one and is not a government official.
The academic thanked colleagues, friends, students and members of the public who had contacted him following the publication to express confidence in his academic and professional credentials.
Kila further disclosed that he had instructed his lawyers to review the publication and any subsequent dissemination of the allegations and advise on appropriate legal steps to protect his reputation and professional standing.
“The facts and documentation will speak for themselves,” he stated.