The Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Nigeria (UNN) has been commended by students for its re-accreditation by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN). The accreditation was enabled by a ₦15 million donation from former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, which was made in July 2025.
According to the students, Obi's intervention saved them from graduating without licenses to practice. The students had been facing the risk of not being licensed due to the faculty's accreditation issues. The faculty was struggling to meet the accreditation requirements set by the MDCN, which would have led to the loss of its license.
The Dean of the Faculty, Linda Oge Okoye, led a series of infrastructure and curriculum upgrades, including the installation of modern laboratories equipped with new dental chairs and clinical training tools. As a result of the re-accreditation, the faculty's training quota has been increased from 15 to 60 students and 48 house officers.
The intervention of Peter Obi has undoubtedly saved the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Nigeria from a potentially disastrous situation. The fact that the faculty was struggling to meet accreditation requirements despite receiving allocations from the federal government and generating funds from students is a clear indication of the mismanagement of resources in some of Nigeria's institutions of higher learning. The increase in the faculty's training quota from 15 to 60 students and 48 house officers is a welcome development that will go a long way in addressing the shortage of dental professionals in Nigeria. However, it is also a reminder of the need for institutions to prioritize infrastructure and curriculum upgrades to ensure that they meet accreditation requirements. The people of Anambra State, particularly the students and parents who were affected by this accreditation issue, owe a debt of gratitude to Peter Obi for his timely intervention.
