#SurvivingDentistryInUNICAL: Over 300 Dentistry Students Sent Home in Shocking Over-Admission Scandal

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The University of Calabar is facing a massive backlash following a shocking decision to send home over 300 students from the Faculty of Dentistry and Dental Surgery, including final-year students, over an over-admission crisis that has rocked the institution and gone viral under the hashtag #SurvivingDentistryInUNICAL.

According to multiple reports, the students—ranging from 200 to 600 level—were informed during a tense meeting with university authorities on July 10 that they had been admitted in error. The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Florence Obi, acknowledged that the university had enrolled far more students than the quota approved by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), a move that now threatens the future of hundreds of young Nigerians who have spent years and millions of naira pursuing their dreams of becoming dental professionals.

Many of the affected students say they have spent five to seven years in the program, only to be told that their admission was not recognized by MDCN due to the university’s failure to comply with accreditation requirements. Emotions ran high during the meeting, with some parents and students breaking down in tears, accusing the institution of greed and negligence. One aggrieved student who shared her experience online said, “I’ve been here for years, doing everything right, only to be told my journey doesn’t count. This is not just heartbreaking—it’s criminal.”

The uproar has sparked widespread outrage across social media platforms, where the hashtag #SurvivingDentistryInUNICAL is trending. Students have taken to X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and Facebook to share their stories, protest the decision, and call for intervention from the Federal Government, the National Universities Commission (NUC), and the Ministry of Education. Many are demanding justice, accountability, and a full reversal of the decision, accusing the university of ruining their academic and professional lives.

Critics argue that the over-admission scandal is not new to UNICAL, citing similar past incidents in other faculties such as Engineering, Pharmacy, and Mass Communication, where students were either transferred or forced to withdraw after discovering their programs were not properly accredited. Stakeholders are now questioning how the institution was allowed to admit more than 300 students into a program that was only approved to graduate 10 students per year.

As the backlash intensifies, the university has remained largely silent. Attempts by journalists to reach the Vice Chancellor and the institution’s Public Relations Unit were unsuccessful, further fueling public suspicion. Students have also alleged that they were warned not to speak to the media, a claim that has raised concerns about transparency and accountability in the university’s leadership.

Observers fear that the incident could have long-term consequences on the credibility of the Nigerian university system and the country’s ability to attract educational partnerships and international recognition. Meanwhile, parents of the affected students are threatening legal action, vowing not to allow years of investment and sacrifice to go to waste.

With no clear path forward, the future of the affected students remains uncertain. As they await a resolution, the crisis at UNICAL stands as a painful reminder of the consequences of systemic failure in Nigeria’s higher education sector—and the human cost of mismanagement.