Calabar: Prof. Florence Obi, Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar (UniCal), has vowed to resolve the ongoing quota crisis in the institution's Dentistry programme before leaving office.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the crisis emerged due to the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN)'s refusal to induct UniCal's 2016 Dentistry students. The core issue stems from the number of students awaiting induction, which exceeds the 10-student per admission quota allocated to the institution by the MDCN for its Dentistry Department.
The Dentistry programme at UniCal began in the 2013/2014 academic session and received full accreditation from MDCN in 2022. However, the council advised halting further admissions to address over-admission issues, which arose due to inadequate facilities for training a larger number of students than the quota permitted. Currently, around 60 students from the 2016 batch await induction, significantly surpassing the stipulated quota.
Prof. Obi expressed her determination to resolve this issue before her tenure ends, stating, "I will feel very bad if I leave without solving this problem and the students are left hanging without knowing their fate. I won't be fulfilled." The university is collaborating with the Minister of Education and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to upgrade its facilities and increase its quota.
Some affected students have requested a transfer to the Department of Medicine and Surgery, but Obi noted this is not a viable solution given the existing capacity constraints. She emphasized that the Department of Dentistry is not being shut down, but adjustments are necessary to comply with the quota, including transferring excess students to other accredited institutions offering Dentistry.
Obi assured that the process of retaining and transferring students would be transparent, providing equal opportunities for students to choose their preferred universities for continuation. Despite these assurances, many affected students, seen around the VC's office in their ward coats, have rejected the proposal to transfer and prefer to complete their programme at UniCal.