Dean's Welcome
Dr. Taofeek O. Ligali
On behalf of the members of staff of the Faculty of Dentistry, College of Medical Sciences, University of Maiduguri, it is with great pleasure we welcome this university website. It offers the opportunity to showcase the achievements of the University as a whole, the Colleges, Faculties and Departments inclusive. We enjoy the peaceful, serene and conducive environment for learning, teaching, research and community service provided by the university. We enjoy the hospitality of the new administration and manifestation of sincere willingness to assist the Faculty to reach greater heights.
Faculty overview
This written piece of history is the original work of the first Dean of the Faculty; Professor Hector O. Olasoji with little modifications. It is an attempt to tell the story of the first Dentistry program in a University located in Northern Nigeria.
Reports indicate an acute shortage of Dental surgeons in Nigeria with a little over 3,000 registered to serve a population estimated to be over 200 million people, with North East constituting only 5% of the Dentists. Furthermore, oral health professionals are poorly distributed in Nigeria, considering the fact that at the time of the establishment of the Dentistry program at this University, all the five Dental schools in the country were located only in universities in Southern part of Nigeria namely: University of Lagos; University of Ibadan; Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; University of Benin and University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
As the nation perceived the problems posed by the acute shortage and uneven distribution of Dental surgeons and other oral health professionals and the need to meet the ever-increasing demand for the services of these health care workers in Northern Nigeria, the concept to commence the Dentistry program at the University of Maiduguri was conceived in 1998 by the Academic Board, College of Medical Sciences, University of Maiduguri. The Provost, College of Medical Sciences, University of Maiduguri, Professor M I A Khalil invited Dr H O Olasoji, a consultant Oral and maxillofacial Surgeon at the Department of Dental Surgery, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital to write a proposal for the establishment of the Dentistry program in the College of Medical Sciences. Based on the proposal, the Department of Dental Surgery, College of Medical Sciences, University of Maiduguri was established by a Senate resolution in 2001/2002 academic session with the admission of the first sets of students (10 in number) into the program in 2002.
Dr A Olaleye, a Consultant, Conservative Dentistry joined the Department as the second permanent academic staff. These men thereby formed the nucleus of the new dentistry program of the University.
In a bid to provide necessary clinical facilities for effective take off of the program, a working relationship was established with the Borno State Government to provide the proposed School of Dentistry access to the Borno State Dental Hospital, located at Damboa road, in Maiduguri metropolis. Towards this end, a bipartite agreement was entered into by the College of Medical sciences, University of Maiduguri and the Borno State Ministry of Health granting permission for full access to the hospital for clinical training activities.
The University of Maiduguri Senate in 2001 pass a resolution to establish the Faculty of Dentistry, College of Medical Sciences, University of Maiduguri and Dr H O Olasoji was appointed as the Acting Dean of the Faculty.
The Faculty consists of five departments namely:
- Department of Child Dental Health
- Department of Oral and maxillofacial surgery
- Department of Oral Pathology and Oral Biology
- Department of Preventive Dentistry
- Department of Restorative Dentistry
Due to shortage of academic staff, the Faculty commenced operation with 3 Departments, merging four of the departments into two departments. The first Heads of Departments were Dr. T O Ligali – Preventive Dentistry and Child Dental Health; Dr H O Olasoji – Oral and Maxillofacial surgery and Oral pathology and Restorative Dentistry – Late Dr O A Olaleye. The Department of Preventive dentistry was later separated into a stand-alone department in 2023 with Dr. Lawan Gana Balami as the new head.
The current Heads of Department are Dr Taofeek O. Ligali (Head of Department of Child Dental Health), Dr Paul Ikhodaro Idon (Head of Department of Restorative Dentistry), Dr Mukhtar Ahmad Modibbo (Head of Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Pathology).
Humble Achievements
With immense support from the University, the Faculty of Dentistry has succeeded in various accreditation exercises, including those of the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).
The Faculty of Dentistry has successfully graduated 15 sets of dental students and majority of the first three sets have become Consultants in various dental specialties. Majority of the current Lecturers in the Faculty graduated from the University, with many more willing to join.
Departments
Department of Child Dental Health
Department of Restorative Dentistry
Department of Preventive Dentistry