Jos University Dental Students Protest 10-Year Delay In Graduation

Students of the University of Jos on Thursday staged a peaceful protest over prolonged delays in their academic programme, citing the institution’s failure to secure full accreditation for its Faculty of Dentistry.

Operating under the Jos University Dental Students’ Association (JUDENSA), the protesters first addressed a press conference at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat in Jos before marching to the university gate, where they barricaded the entrance while chanting solidarity songs and carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Ten Years, No Graduation,” “Save Our Future,” and “We Deserve Better.”

Speaking during the briefing, JUDENSA President, Johnson Bisani, lamented that many of the students had spent up to 10 years in a programme designed to last six years, describing their situation as “a painful and disturbing ordeal.”

“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.

He explained that the university only secured the first phase of accreditation — the pre-clinical stage — in 2024, following the intervention of Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang, but that the clinical phase 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 added.

The students accused the university management of poor communication and lack of transparency, calling on the Federal Ministry of Education, the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), and the National Assembly to intervene immediately.

The protest coincided with the opening of the 27th Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA) hosted by the University of Jos, which drew national attention.

The students urged the authorities to act swiftly to secure full accreditation, warning that further delays could worsen the shortage of dental professionals in the region.

“We are not asking for favours. We are only asking for justice — the chance to finish what we started and serve our country as trained dentists,” Bisani concluded.