Federal High Court And University of Calabar Over an Unaccredited Academic Program
Federal High Court And University of Calabar Over an Unaccredited Academic Program
The Federal High Court sitting in Calabar has ordered the University of Calabar to pay ₦55 million in damages to eight engineering students over their admission into an unaccredited academic programme.
The judgment was delivered by Justice R. O. Dugbo-Oghoghorie following a suit filed by one of the students, Idiong Ekpedeme Godwin, alongside seven others, popularly referred to as the “UNICAL 8.” The students dragged the university and several of its officials to court after discovering that the engineering programme they were admitted into had not been accredited at the time of their admission.
In the ruling, the court described the actions of the university as illegal and irresponsible, stating that admitting students into a programme without prior approval from the National Universities Commission (NUC) was “fraudulent, reckless and deceitful.” The judge emphasized that universities have a duty of care to clearly disclose the accreditation status of their programmes to prospective students before admission.
As compensation, the court awarded ₦50 million as general damages for the psychological trauma and academic setbacks suffered by the students, while an additional ₦5.247 million was granted as special damages.
Evidence presented in court showed that full accreditation for the engineering programme was only secured during the 2024/2025 academic session, several years after the affected students were expected to have graduated from the institution.
The controversy dates back to 2021 when more than 200 engineering students at the university were reportedly demoted from higher levels to lower levels after issues surrounding accreditation emerged. The development sparked widespread protests among students, with some eventually seeking legal redress.
Meanwhile, the management of the university has yet to issue an official response to the court judgment at the time of filing this report.
The ruling is expected to serve as a strong warning to higher institutions across Nigeria to ensure that all academic programmes receive proper accreditation before admitting students.
