Obi Donates N15 Million to UNN Dental Students, Decries Leadership Neglect

Enugu, Nigeria – Former Anambra State Governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has made a significant donation of N15 million to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) Dental Students Association. The funds are earmarked for the upgrade of their laboratory facilities, a crucial step in aiding the department’s re-accreditation process and the potential increase in their student admission quota.

Obi’s intervention comes at a critical time for the UNN Faculty of Dentistry, which is the sole accredited institution for dental surgery in the entire South East region. Currently, the department is only permitted to graduate 15 dental surgeons annually, a stark contrast to the estimated population of over 60 million persons they are meant to serve. The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) allows for up to 60 students per year, a target the UNN faculty aims to achieve with improved infrastructure.

The donation follows a direct appeal from the UNN Dental Students Association, who had sought approximately N40 million for the vital upgrades. After confirming the authenticity of the request with university authorities, Obi undertook a direct visit to the facility. During his visit, he observed the dilapidated conditions of the learning environment, including the Phantom Head Lab, Prosthetic Lab, and a lecture theatre with a leaking roof.

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The Chairman of the Re-accreditation Fundraising Committee, Mr. Boston Chukwuemeka (Jnr), highlighted the urgent need for at least 50 phantom heads and dental chairs, against the current nine, to meet accreditation standards.Presenting the N15 million cheque through Mr. Chukwuemeka and the President of the University of Nigeria Dental Students Association, Comrade Daniel Ogba, Obi expressed his unwavering commitment to advancing education and healthcare in Nigeria.

He decried the “tragedy of misplaced priorities” evident in government spending.”I continue to question the kind of country we are building, where our leaders and public servants spend millions on luxury cars and ignore critical areas of development, health, education, and pulling people out of poverty,” Obi stated. “When we fail to prioritise education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation, but invest billions in conference centres and bus parks, we betray our youth and undermine the future of our dear nation. We must invest in the future of the Nigerian youth.

“The Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry, Prof. Linda Oge Okoye, has clarified that the faculty is not losing its accreditation but is rather seeking re-accreditation to increase its admission quota. The current limited intake significantly hampers the region’s access to much-needed dental professionals.

Obi’s donation is expected to not only assist the UNN Faculty of Dentistry in meeting the requirements for full re-accreditation but also pave the way for an increased student allocation, potentially to 60 students yearly, thereby addressing the severe shortage of dental surgeons in the South East and beyond.

His gesture has ignited renewed discussions online about the state of public healthcare and education in Nigeria, with many commending his practical approach to critical national issues.

“A New Nigeria is Possible,” Obi affirmed.