The Nigerian Dental Therapists’ Association (NDTA) has raised serious concerns over alleged marginalisation and manipulation in the ongoing recruitment process for the position of Registrar/Chief Executive Officer at the Dental Therapists Registration Board of Nigeria (DThRBN).
In a statement issued on Sunday by the association’s National Secretary, Mr. Anugwor Chinedu, and shared with journalists in Gombe, NDTA accused the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) of intentionally delaying the appointment of a new Registrar following the retirement of Mrs. M. O. Ojo on February 28, 2025.
The association lamented that the Registrar’s office has remained shut since Ojo’s exit, crippling vital regulatory functions, including the registration of new members and issuance of practice licences.
This has adversely impacted young dental therapists, many of whom are unable to proceed with their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) or secure employment due to lack of accreditation.
NDTA alleged that the recruitment delay is a strategic attempt to favour candidates with personal ties to the former Registrar—specifically naming Mr. Ojo Richard and Dr. Dele Anisere. It further claimed that the eligibility criteria were tailored to exclude qualified professionals from other regions.
The association decried what it called a 30-year trend of appointing registrars from the same geopolitical zone, warning that continuing this pattern could fuel dissatisfaction and disunity within the profession.
Calling for an immediate halt to the current recruitment exercise, NDTA urged the Coordinating Minister of Health, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, and the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Ishaq Salako, to appoint the most senior dental therapist as Acting Registrar.
They also demanded a new and transparent recruitment process that reflects the federal character and ensures equitable representation across all regions.
