University of Jos Dental Students Demand Accreditation After a Decade Without Graduation

Dozens of dental students at the University of Jos took to the streets on Wednesday to protest the non-accreditation of their course, which has kept them in school for over a decade without graduating.

The students blocked the main entrance of the university’s permanent site, carrying placards with messages such as “Save us from unending depression,” “Our future is on hold,” and “Accredit us now.”

Speaking on behalf of the protesters, the President of the Jos University Dental Students Association, Johnson Titus, said the students were frustrated after being kept in limbo for years due to the university’s failure to secure accreditation for their programme.

“What you see here is the frustration of dental students who have been in the university for the past ten years without graduating,” he said. “The school never told us that our course wasn’t accredited. If we had known, many of us wouldn’t have applied.”

Another student, Nwike Pius, accused the university of dishonesty, saying management has not been sincere in resolving the issue. “Each time we ask questions, we get conflicting responses from the school and the Council. We’ve reached out to the Vice Chancellor, but nothing has been done,” he said.

A source close to the university’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Tanko Ishaya, however, said the management was taking steps to address the matter.

According to the source, the institution recently opened bids for ₦800 million capital projects, including the purchase of equipment for the dental programme, and senior officials met with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria to secure an accreditation date.