Parents protest non accreditation of dentistry programme in UNIUYO
By Uko Etim
UYO—Parents of dental students at the University of Uyo, UNIUYO, have staged a protest over the lack of accreditation for the university’s Dentistry programme, warning that over 125 students risk being stranded academically.
Our correspondent reports that the parents numbering over 20 were seen matching in Uyo metropolis with placards of various inscriptions that read, “We reject unnecessary prolongation of studies for our children”, “Our children are not lab rats for experiments”, “Save the future of Uniuyo dental students, “Do not normalize extra year for professional students”, and among others.
They lamented that the programme has operated for five years without preclinical or clinical accreditation from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, MDCN, noting that the first cohort admitted in the 2020/2021 session is now in Year 5 and less than a year from expected graduation.
Speaking to newsmen on Friday in Uyo, the Chairman, Forum of Parents of Dental Students in UNIUYO, Mr Sunday Elijah, explained that the faculty currently has 45 students in Year 1, 43 in Year 2, 17 in Year 3, 20 in Year 4, and 22 in Year 5, adding that the university admitted 40 or more students annually at 100 and 200 levels despite having no approved quota for Dentistry.
“The Dentistry programme at the University of Uyo commenced several
years ago with the admission of the first batch of students in the
2020/2021 academic session, who are currently in Year 5 (500 Level).
“Since the inception of the programme, successive cohorts of students
have been admitted, and the programme has now expanded across
multiple levels.
“These students have invested years of disciplined academic effort with
the expectation of becoming qualified dental surgeons who will
contribute meaningfully to the healthcare system of our nation.
“They were duly offered admission by the University, paid their acceptance
fees, medical levies, and school fees consistently for each academic
session up to date. In view of this, it is only fair and just that they
should not be left stranded academically or professionally due to
circumstances beyond their control.
“We wish to state that there is currently no accreditation for the
Faculty of Dentistry, both at the preclinical and clinical levels,” he noted.
The Chairman, represented by Mr Vincent Udoh, alleged that the university had not invited the MDCN for an advisory or accreditation visit as of April 2026, even though the pioneer batch is in Year 5.
Elijah listed missing infrastructure and staff, including no dedicated faculty building, no equipped dental clinics, no prosthodontics or oral biology labs, insufficient dental chairs and phantom heads, and a shortage of consultants and lecturers across the five departments.
He appealed to the Federal Government, National Assembly, MDCN, and other stakeholders to approve the immediate merger of Year 5, 4, and 3 dental students into the MBBS programme and direct Uniuyo to produce a plan with timelines to address deficiencies and schedule MDCN accreditation visits.
“The future of these students is closely tied to the future of our healthcare system. Aspiring to become a doctor or a dental surgeon should not result in avoidable setbacks due to systemic lapses,” Elijah said.
In his reaction, the Acting vice chancellor university of Uyo, Professor Samuel Gbadebo Odewumi, stated that “If there is anything I have been concern about since I came in here is this issue of accreditation.”
He added that “We have done everything as an institution that needed to be done, including award of contracts and lot more. It’s not something that could be done in a day or two, but I want to assure that everything thing is in progress. What is left is to invite the the council for accreditation of the programme.”
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