Outrage as UNICAL Dentistry Students Asked to Leave After 7 Years Over Alleged Illegal Admissions

There is growing outrage at the University of Calabar (UNICAL) as over 300 dentistry students are facing eviction after allegedly being admitted illegally by the institution’s management.

In a now-viral video, a distraught student, speaking on behalf of his colleagues, revealed that after spending seven years studying dentistry, they are now being asked to go home—effectively terminating their academic pursuit.

According to the students, the Nigerian Dental and Medical Council has withdrawn the department’s license following revelations that the university grossly exceeded its annual admission quota. While the approved quota for dentistry students is 40 per year, reports allege that the current Vice Chancellor admitted as many as 900 students outside the authorized process.

The affected students, some of whom are reportedly in their final stages of training, claim the school is advising them to “learn a trade or find other things to do,” a statement that has triggered public outrage and concern over the state of higher education in the country.

Stakeholders are now calling on the Federal Ministry of Education and relevant regulatory bodies to intervene urgently, with many describing the situation as a clear sign that a state of emergency needs to be declared in Nigeria’s education sector.