Pecohub The Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) is on the verge of losing its accreditation by July 2025, unless urgent financial intervention is made, according to a public appeal issued by education advocate and Edugrant founder, Dr. Alex Onyia.
In a post that has since stirred concern online, Onyia revealed that the faculty — the only accredited dental school in the entire South-East of Nigeria — is currently allowed to graduate just 15 dental surgeons per year, a figure alarmingly low for a region with a population exceeding 60 million people.
“This is beyond sad for a great institution like this,” Onyia said, noting that the school is in desperate need of funds to meet equipment and facility requirements mandated by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) ahead of its July accreditation deadline.
MDCN Requirements and What’s at Stake
A document attached to the appeal lists a breakdown of essential equipment and upgrades urgently needed, including:
Phantom heads for dental simulation Dental compressors X-ray generators for a new lab Dental cubicles and operator stools
The total cost of these “must-do” items runs into millions of naira, with no clear funding source identified yet by the institution. Failure to meet these requirements could result in a withdrawal of accreditation, which would cripple dental education in the region and worsen Nigeria’s already thin medical workforce.
Why This Matters
If the accreditation is lost:
No new dental surgeons can graduate from the Southeast. Nigeria’s national health sector will suffer an even greater shortage of trained dental professionals. UNN’s reputation — as one of Nigeria’s oldest and most respected federal universities — would face significant damage.
“This is a matter of public health and equity. If we don’t act, we are leaving millions in the Southeast without access to essential oral healthcare,” Onyia warned.
Dr. Onyia has pledged a personal donation and is calling on alumni, philanthropists, and stakeholders to urgently donate toward saving the institution.
“This is not just about a faculty. This is about the future of healthcare in the South-East. If we don’t rise now, we’ll regret it later.”
