A Nigerian author who claimed to be a professor at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge has lost his academic visitor status after students alleged he “fabricated” his role.
Onyeka Nwelue, a writer and filmmaker, was invited to join the African Studies Centre at Oxford as a visiting fellow for the 2021-22 academic year.
Posts from a Twitter account, which has since been deleted, show that Mr Nwelue claimed to be a professor at both Oxford and Cambridge. However, neither university could acknowledge this academic status, an investigation by Cherwell, the student newspaper, found.
It is understood that a probe into his conduct was launched after Oxford students complained about his behaviour at a book launch in January, where he hosted a Nigerian blogger.
Students were asked to pay £20 to attend, which surprised students who said that usually Events run by the African Studies Centre are free.
