UNIJOS Dental Students Protest Over 10-Year Delay Without Graduation

• Dozens of dental students at the University of Jos have staged a protest over the non-accreditation of their programme, which has left many stranded in school for over a decade without graduating.

Dozens of University of Jos dental students have taken to the streets to protest the non-accreditation of their courses, which they say has kept them in school for more than ten years without graduation.

The students blocked the university gate at the Permanent Site, chanting solidarity songs and holding placards that read, “Save us from unending depression,” “Our future is on hold,” “Accredit us now,” and “We are tired of UNIJOS.”

The President of the Jos University Dental Students Association, Johnson Titus, who spoke on behalf of the students, said their frustration stemmed from years of stagnation caused by the university’s inability to secure accreditation for their programme.

“What you see behind me is the frustration of dental students who have been in the university for the past ten years without graduating,” Titus said.

“We are calling on the management and relevant authorities to fix this problem, get a date for accreditation, and resolve the curriculum issues.”

He added that the university was at fault for admitting students into an unaccredited programme.

“If we had known there was no accreditation, we wouldn’t have applied. Yet, the university still lists Dentistry on its website. We feel deceived,” he said.

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Another student, Nwike Pius, accused the school management of insincerity, noting that the administration had been inconsistent in its communication.

“The school has not been sincere with us. We hear different stories from the management and from the Council. Even efforts to reach the Vice Chancellor have been ignored,” Pius stated.

While the Dean of Student Affairs, Prof. Chris Piwuna, could not be reached, a source close to the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Tanko Ishaya, revealed that the university was already working to resolve the crisis.

According to the source, bidding had been opened for an ₦800 million capital project to procure dental equipment, while the Provost and senior faculty members had met with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria to secure an accreditation date.

“The university is not idle on this matter. The bid for equipment was opened just last week, and meetings are ongoing to get accreditation. The students should exercise patience,” the source said.

Despite this, the protesting students vowed to remain at the university gate until their demands are met.