Two days into the 27th Nigeria University Games (NUGA) hosted by the University of Jos, students of the institution’s Dentistry Department have taken to the streets to protest over a decade of academic stagnation and non-graduation.
The aggrieved students blocked the university’s main entrance on Thursday, demanding urgent action from management over the lack of clinical accreditation for their faculty — a situation they say has kept them in school for 10 years without graduation.
President of the Dental Students Association, Johnson Titus, told Campulse News that the protest was fuelled by long-standing frustration over the students’ inability to complete their programme or proceed with professional training.
“We have been stuck here for 10 years without graduation because our faculty has not gotten clinical accreditation,” Titus said. “Without that, we cannot take our professional exams or be inducted as doctors. We cannot pursue housemanship or even participate in the NYSC program. It has been 10 years of waiting with no progress.”
He explained that although the university secured pre-clinical accreditation last year after a previous protest, management had promised to obtain clinical accreditation within six months — a promise yet to be fulfilled one year and six months later. “After our protest in April last year, the school assured us that we would have clinical accreditation within six months. One year and six months later, nothing has happened,” he lamented.
The students also alleged that they were not informed that the Dentistry programme lacked accreditation before they enrolled. “We were not aware that Dentistry was not accredited,” Titus said. “If I had known, I would not have applied. The school did not disclose this to us at the beginning.”
The protesters stated that the university’s management, including the Deputy Dean of Student Affairs and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, had met with them but had only reiterated the same assurances they had been given for years. “We have been hearing the same thing — that they are working on it. However, we want a more sincere and practical response this time,” Titus added.
Security operatives fired tear gas to disperse the protesters. However, the demonstration continued as the students vowed not to back down until concrete steps are taken to resolve the accreditation issue that has held their academic future hostage for a decade.
One of the protesting students, Suleiman Richard, said the prolonged delay was taking a toll on their mental health. “Spending these long years in the university is like doing a PhD, but I am struggling for just one degree,” he said. “We have been lied to for too long. I am the firstborn of my parents. My father is about to retire, yet he still feeds me — it should not be so.
“The MDCN (Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria) has given the school clear regulations, but we wonder why they cannot follow them. Some of us have fallen into depression. Personally, I have been depressed several times and have only found strength in my faith as a Christian. That is what has helped me weather the storm. Nevertheless, I can tell you, thoughts of suicide have crossed the minds of many.”
At the time of filing this report, no senior university official was seen addressing the protesters, and efforts to obtain a response from university management were unsuccessful.
It was also reported that the university had previously explored the possibility of transferring the affected students to other accredited institutions; however, this effort has yet to yield any tangible results.
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