By Edem Ekpo Calabar
Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, has called on well-meaning Nigerians to urgently intervene in the plight of over 300 final-year Dentistry students of the University of Calabar (UNICAL), who have been left stranded due to regulatory challenges and poor infrastructure.
During a private visit to Calabar, Obi met with some of the affected students and described their situation as “a heartbreaking reflection of leadership failure in Nigeria’s education and health sectors.”
The students, who have spent years pursuing their degrees, were recently asked by the university authorities to seek transfers to other institutions following the refusal of the Nigerian Medical and Dental Council (NMDC) to inaugurate them. The NMDC had insisted on strict compliance with its quota of 10 students per session, a requirement which UNICAL has failed to meet due to the lack of basic facilities — especially the absence of standard dental chairs and equipment.
“This is unacceptable,” Obi said. “How can over 300 final-year students be abandoned after years of study? This is a clear systemic failure. We cannot punish our youths for the negligence of those in charge.”
Moved by their condition, Obi announced a personal donation of ₦20 million to support the procurement of 15 modern dental chairs ,one of the primary requirements for the expansion of the faculty’s quota and compliance with NMDC standards.
“I am calling on fellow Nigerians — in government, business, and the general public — to rally behind these students. This is not just a UNICAL problem; it’s a national emergency in education and healthcare,” he said. “We must stop making our children pay for the blunders of our leadership.”
Obi emphasized that investment in human capital is critical to Nigeria’s progress and urged the Federal Government and relevant agencies to take urgent steps to salvage the situation.
Students and their parents, who have been left in limbo, expressed deep appreciation for Obi’s intervention and echoed his appeal for broader national action.
If support does not come quickly, hundreds of aspiring dentists could see their dreams dashed, not for lack of effort, but because of institutional failure.