Calabar, Nigeria – 25 July 2025 – In a bid to avert a potential crisis in dental education, former Nigerian presidential candidate Peter Obi has donated ₦20 million to the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Calabar (UNICAL). The contribution aims to fund the procurement of essential dental chairs, addressing an accreditation shortfall that threatens the studies of hundreds of students.
Obi, the Labour Party’s flagbearer in the 2023 elections, made the announcement following a visit to the faculty on Friday, where he interacted with students and university officials. In a post on X, he described the donation as a “modest” effort to ensure the students’ education is not derailed by infrastructural deficiencies.
“Following the SOS appeal I got last week and my subsequent visit to the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, I received a similar SOS appeal from the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Calabar on Saturday, highlighting a similar issue,” Obi wrote. “Today, I was in Calabar to meet with the students, and after my interaction with them, I offered my commitment towards ensuring their education is not derailed.”
The donation comes amid concerns over an accreditation crisis at the faculty, which could result in students being unable to graduate or even facing expulsion if key requirements, such as adequate equipment, are not met. Reports indicate that approximately 400 dental students are at risk, underscoring the urgency of the intervention.
This gesture follows a similar action last week when Obi visited the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), donating ₦15 million to support laboratory upgrades and increase the department’s graduation quota as part of its re-accreditation process. In both cases, the issues stem from longstanding underfunding and neglect of educational infrastructure in Nigeria’s public universities.
Obi used the occasion to call on the federal government to prioritise education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation. “I urge the Government to prioritise critical areas of development of education, healthcare and pulling people out of poverty,” he stated. “The government is to give this situation urgent attention by providing both financial and institutional support to the university leadership and assisting these students who have worked so hard to ensure this issue is resolved and their education remains uninterrupted.”
He also commended UNICAL’s Vice-Chancellor and her team for their efforts to mitigate the crisis, emphasising that students should not suffer due to circumstances beyond their control. “At this critical time in our nation, we must stop neglecting healthcare, education and pulling people out of poverty,” Obi added. “We must, as leaders, build a country where our students can focus on learning without a lack of basic facilities and tools. We must do better as a nation. Our children must not continue to lose their future in Nigeria.”
Obi’s actions align with his longstanding advocacy for investment in human development. As former Governor of Anambra State, he has often highlighted his track record in resolving similar educational challenges, such as accrediting a medical school by building a teaching hospital within 18 months.
The donation has been welcomed on social media, with videos of Obi’s visit circulating widely, showing enthusiastic students and faculty members. However, it also spotlighted broader systemic issues in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector, where many institutions grapple with inadequate funding and outdated facilities.
Government officials have yet to respond publicly to Obi’s appeal, but the intervention underscores the role of private philanthropy in bridging gaps left by public sector shortcomings. As Nigeria faces economic pressures, advocates like Obi continue to push for a reorientation of national priorities towards sustainable development.
