Dental students of the University of Jos on Thursday staged a peaceful protest at the institution’s permanent site to demand urgent intervention over what they described as a decade-long academic stagnation.
The students, under the umbrella of the Jos University Dental Students’ Association (JUDENSA), had earlier addressed a press conference at the Plateau State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
They later marched to the university gate, where they barricaded the entrance while chanting solidarity songs and displaying placards with inscriptions such as “Ten Years, No Graduation,” “Save Our Future,” and “We Deserve Better”
Speaking during the briefing, the President of JUDENSA, Johnson Bisani, said many of the students had spent 10 years in a programme designed to last six years due to the institution’s failure to secure full accreditation for its dental school.
“We have endured 10 years of prolonged emotional trauma and academic delay. This is a painful and disturbing ordeal for young Nigerians chasing their dreams in dental healthcare,” Bisani said.
Stalled Process
He explained that although the university secured the first phase of accreditation, the pre-clinical stage, in 2024 following the intervention of Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang, the process had since stalled.
“We were promised that the clinical phase of accreditation would follow within six months. Sadly, more than a year later, nothing has happened.
“We are still waiting, and our lives are on hold,” he lamented.
The students also accused the university’s management of failing to provide clear communication or a definite timeline for resolving the issue, calling on relevant authorities to intervene.
“We appeal to the Federal Ministry of Education, the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, and the National Assembly to come to our aid. We cannot continue to suffer from the system’s inefficiencies,” Bisani added.
The protest coincided with the opening day of the 27th Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA) hosted by the University of Jos, an event drawing attention from across the country.
The students, therefore, urged the management to take swift and transparent steps to secure full accreditation and allow them to complete their programme, warning that continued neglect could worsen the already dwindling number of dental professionals in the region.
“We are not asking for favours. We are only asking for justice, for the chance to finish what we started and serve our country as trained dentists,” he added.
