Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has donated N20 million to support dentistry students at the University of Calabar (UNICAL) facing potential academic disruption.
The intervention comes after the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) limited UNICAL’s dentistry admissions to only 10 students due to inadequate equipment, putting over 300 students at risk of discontinued education.
Speaking at Calabar Airport, Peter Obi criticised the government’s neglect of critical educational needs while political leaders enjoy extravagant lifestyles. “The situation in UNICAL reflects failed leadership,” he said.
“We spend millions on political officeholders’ luxuries while students lack basic learning tools. This shouldn’t happen in a nation that values its future.”
The former Anambra governor explained that his donation aims to procure 15 additional dental chairs, a key requirement for the faculty to expand its student intake. He described the dentistry faculty’s predicament as symptomatic of broader systemic failures in Nigeria’s education sector.
UNICAL’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Florence Obi, had previously proposed transferring affected students to other institutions, but students rejected the idea, insisting on completing their education at UNICAL.
The former presidential candidate urged authorities to prioritise students’ welfare and called on other Nigerian leaders to support educational institutions.
“Education remains our most vital tool for national development,” Obi emphasised. “If we don’t invest properly in equipping our youth with knowledge and skills, we’re mortgaging our collective future.”
Peter Obi challenged stakeholders across sectors to contribute to solving infrastructure gaps in Nigerian universities, stressing that quality education should never be compromised.
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cc: Daily Post Ng
