Regulatory court ruling

University of Calabar Ordered to Pay N55M

Analysis based on 7 articles · First reported Mar 04, 2026 · Last updated Mar 05, 2026

Sentiment

Attention

Articles

Market Impact

General

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Market Impact

This event has a limited direct impact on financial markets, primarily affecting the reputation and financial standing of the University of Calabar. It highlights regulatory risks within the education sector, which could lead to increased scrutiny for other educational institutions.

Education Legal Services

Event Summary

The Federal High Court, Calabar Division, ordered the University of Calabar to pay N55 million to eight former students. The students were admitted into unaccredited engineering programs in 2021, a conduct the court described as fraudulent, reckless, and deceitful. The lawsuit, initiated by Idiong Godwin and seven others, concluded a five-year legal dispute. The Nigeria===National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Nigeria===Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) had not accredited the programs, leading to students being directed to revert to a lower academic level. Justice Rosemary Dugbo-Oghoghorie ruled that the University of Calabar failed in its duty of care and that institutions must have prior NUC approval for academic programs. The court awarded N50 million in general damages and N5.2 million in special damages for psychological distress and academic setback.

Key Actions

60 Nigeria===National Universities Commission directed students to revert academic level

Entities Involved

govactor

Nigeria===Federal High Court of Nigeria

The Federal High Court, Calabar Division, delivered a judgment ordering the University of Calabar to pay N55 million to former students. This action upholds legal standards and provides redress for the affected students.

Importance 80 Sentiment 10

per

Rosemary Dugbo-Oghoghorie

Justice Rosemary Dugbo-Oghoghorie delivered the judgment, describing the University of Calabar's conduct as fraudulent, reckless, and deceitful. Her ruling was critical in the outcome of the case.

Importance 70 Sentiment 10

govactor

Nigeria===National Universities Commission

The Nigeria===National Universities Commission (NUC) was involved in a resource verification exercise that revealed the engineering programs at the University of Calabar were not accredited, leading to students being directed to revert to a lower academic level.

Importance 60 Sentiment 0

per

Idiong Godwin

Idiong Godwin was one of the eight students who instituted the legal case against the University of Calabar. The court's ruling in their favor provides significant compensation and validation for their academic setback.

Importance 60 Sentiment 70

govactor

Nigeria===Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria

The Nigeria===Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) is another body whose accreditation was lacking for the engineering programs at the University of Calabar, contributing to the students' legal action.

Importance 50 Sentiment 0

per

Ekpedeme Godwin

Ekpedeme Godwin, one of the plaintiffs, expressed satisfaction with the court's outcome, highlighting the hardship and intimidation endured by the students before seeking legal redress.

Importance 50 Sentiment 70

per

Florence Obi

Prof. Florence Obi, the former Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, was named as a defendant in the lawsuit. This association with the fraudulent conduct could negatively affect her professional reputation.

Importance 40 Sentiment -30

Relationships

Rosemary Dugbo-Oghoghorie related ↔ Nigeria===Federal High Court of Nigeria

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