Nigerian political economist Pat Utomi has faced criticism following his public defence of political commentator Anthony Kila, whose academic qualifications and professorial title have come under scrutiny. In a Facebook post on Saturday, Utomi described Kila as a smart and good man and called suggestions that Kila had never attended school “spectacularly stupid”. However, his comments drew objections from social media users who argued that the central issue was whether Kila had verifiable evidence to support the academic qualifications and titles attributed to him.
Among those who criticised Utomi was Ekokoi Solomon, a law lecturer at the University of Uyo in Akwa Ibom State. Solomon argued that Utomi’s defence did not address the allegations concerning Kila’s academic credentials. He said the controversy centred on claims about certificates and qualifications rather than Kila’s intelligence or personal character. Other commentators similarly questioned the relevance of describing Kila as a good person when the allegations required documentary evidence to establish the authenticity of his academic background.
Babajide Brown also challenged Utomi’s comparison of Kila’s situation with the public scrutiny involving British sociologist Jason Arday, a professor at the University of Cambridge. Brown argued that the two cases involved different allegations and should not be treated as equivalent. Jolayemi Babajide also questioned how Utomi’s comments addressed the concerns raised about Kila’s qualifications, while Isaacs Oguntuase called for accountability and urged Utomi to encourage Kila to provide verifiable evidence of his academic achievements or acknowledge any misrepresentation or error.
The criticism followed investigations by PREMIUM TIMES published on October 3 and October 10, 2026, which questioned Kila’s professorial title and the academic qualifications he claimed to have obtained. The newspaper reported finding no evidence that a recognised academic institution had awarded him a professorship. Kila had said the title was awarded to him in 2016 by the European Centre for Advanced and Professional Studies, but the investigation reported that it could not establish the institution’s existence. The follow-up investigation also identified discrepancies in his claimed academic qualifications, with some institutions disputing or being unable to verify the credentials attributed to them.
Kila has maintained that he is a professor and stands by his academic and professional credentials. Utomi, meanwhile, said he learnt about the controversy late and had never asked Kila to show him his certificates or appointment letters, adding that he could not personally vouch for those documents. He also criticised what he considered online bullying and questioned the motives of those challenging Kila. Despite this, critics have continued to call for documentary evidence to resolve the controversy, arguing that personal reputation and perceived intellectual ability cannot replace verification of academic qualifications.
