UNICAL Dental Students Express Optimism Over Accreditation, Staffing, and Transfer Plans
By Ebi COLLINS
The leadership of the Calabar University Dental Students Association (CUDENSA) has expressed optimism about the future of dental students at the University of Calabar, following a series of recent developments aimed at resolving long-standing academic and administrative challenges.
At a general meeting held on August 5, 2025, the Director of Information, Comrade Agnes Bassey, presented resolutions concerning each academic class, highlighting tangible progress in staffing, accreditation, and student placement. She announced that the bill for the employment of new lecturers has been signed and implementation will begin soon. This development is expected to address the staffing gaps that have hindered academic and clinical training in the Faculty of Dentistry.
In addition, the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) is scheduled to visit the university in September for an accreditation exercise aimed at increasing the institution’s quota for dental students. The anticipated quota is expected to be no less than 40, which will help resolve the backlog affecting multiple academic classes. With the anticipated expansion, the graduating class will be cleared to conclude their studies and proceed to graduation. Similarly, the final year class will be fully accommodated within the increased quota and allowed to complete their academic requirements.
For the Year 5A class, they will be required to complete their current session and write the Part IV MB examinations at UNICAL. After that, opportunities for transfer to other dental schools will be considered, but only if the institutions have a matching curriculum and are willing to accept them. Students are encouraged to approach the Dean if they secure such transfer opportunities independently.
Group photograph with VC, Prof Florence Obi, (middle), other top management staff, parents and students leaders after the stakeholders meeting held on Tuesday, August 5, 2025
Meanwhile, the Year 5B class will be presented with options to transfer into Medicine and Surgery programs at other universities. An appeal is currently being prepared for the Vice-Chancellor to grant a waiver that will allow the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery at UNICAL to expand its intake capacity to accommodate up to 200 students. This is intended to create room for more dental students to switch programs comfortably. The process will be fair, transparent, and entirely voluntary. Students from the class who are willing to transfer to either Medicine and Surgery or Dentistry within UNICAL or in other institutions are advised to submit their names and preferred programs or schools to their Class Governor for onward transmission to the Dean.
The Year 4 class has already been integrated into the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery after a peaceful and inclusive process, and students from that level have expressed satisfaction with the outcome. As for the Year 1 class, their admission has been deferred, with plans to reabsorb them as the first set into the Medicine and Surgery program in the next academic session.
Regarding transfer destinations, the schools mentioned include the University of Uyo, University of Lagos, University of Ibadan, University of Port Harcourt, and Abia State University. More institutions may be added as the process continues. Some of the listed schools have already indicated readiness to accept students, while others are awaiting waivers from the MDCN. At this time, no institutions from northern states have been included on the list.
In view of these efforts, parents and stakeholders have urged students to promote positive publicity about the university. They warned that negative narratives could damage the school’s reputation and potentially affect the credibility of its graduates in future professional circles.
Comrade Agnes Bassey concluded on a hopeful note, stating that while the journey has been challenging, the end is in sight. “There is light at the end of the tunnel for all. We are close to a breath of relief. Trust that all hands are on deck to give us a good result in the end,” she affirmed.
