Ukorebi Esien | July 22, 2025
CALABAR - The University of Calabar (UNICAL) has dismissed claims circulating on social media suggesting the institution's Dentistry programme has lost its accreditation or that students have been instructed to transfer or abandon their studies.
In an official statement released by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Florence Banku Obi, the university clarified that its Dentistry programme retains full accreditation, and the administration remains committed to resolving existing challenges in collaboration with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).
Prof. Obi stated that the misinformation currently trending online is a distortion of facts, and urged students, parents, and the general public to remain calm and disregard such reports.
"The Dentistry programme at UNICAL commenced during the 2013/2014 academic session. Pre-clinical accreditation was granted by MDCN in 2019, and full clinical accreditation followed in December 2022," the statement read. "Therefore, the issue is not about loss of accreditation, as the next assessment by MDCN is scheduled for 2027."
She, however, acknowledged that the University had over-admitted students into the Dentistry programme in previous years, a situation that predates her administration. "The MDCN, during a post-accreditation meeting in December 2022, advised the University to suspend further admissions to allow a framework for graduating current students to be developed," she said.
To address the situation, the Vice-Chancellor, alongside the Provost of the College of Medical Sciences and the Dean of Dentistry, held a high-level meeting with MDCN officials in Abuja. During the meeting, it was agreed that some students in the 4th, 5th, and 6th years may be transferred to other accredited institutions, with MDCN facilitating the process.
"In the same breath, the Council assured us that it is committed to graduating our students and has already included three cohorts for graduation. For the pending induction of 31 students and resit examinations for 28 others, MDCN has requested a re-evaluation of the programme's academic resources before proceeding," Prof. Obi explained.
In efforts to enhance the faculty's capacity, UNICAL has procured four new dental chairs, bringing the total to 26, with 16 more expected under the ₦4.75 billion Special Presidential Intervention for medical colleges. The university has also secured a waiver to employ additional academic staff and is awaiting budgetary clearance from the Federal Government to commence recruitment.
Prof. Obi emphasized that these efforts are aimed at meeting MDCN's requirements for resource revalidation, which could enable an increase in the programme's admission quota in the near future.
Addressing the concerns of students and parents, the Vice-Chancellor said, "At no point were students advised to seek admission elsewhere or abandon the programme. Rather, we called for patience while the University initiates institutional engagements for potential transfers, a process to be coordinated with MDCN's support."
On July 10, 2025, the University convened a stakeholders' meeting involving students, parents, and college management to communicate the outcomes of the Abuja meeting and the steps being taken to address the over-admission issue.
Prof. Obi called on the Honourable Minister of Education and the Director-General of the Budget Office to expedite approval processes for staff recruitment and facility procurement to ensure MDCN's timely re-evaluation visit.
"Let it be clearly understood: the University of Calabar's Dentistry programme retains its full accreditation. We remain fully committed to our students' academic progress and professional licensure, and we are confident that continued dialogue with all stakeholders will yield lasting solutions," the statement concluded.
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