Anambra State hosts one of the highest concentrations of approved nursing and midwifery training institutions in southeastern Nigeria. Students researching where to study nursing in the state need two things: a verified list of schools recognized by the regulatory bodies, and a realistic picture of what each option costs. This article covers both, along with what affects the fees you eventually pay.
Which Body Approves Nursing Schools in Nigeria
The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) is the statutory body responsible for accrediting and regulating nursing and midwifery training across the country. No school can lawfully train students for nursing certification unless the NMCN has granted it accreditation status, which is either full accreditation, lasting five years, or provisional accreditation, lasting two years. A school under an admissions embargo cannot enroll new students until the council conducts a resource verification visit and lifts the restriction. Schools running the newer National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) nursing tracks are additionally regulated by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), since these programs replaced the older basic RN/RM (Registered Nurse/Registered Midwife) structure in several institutions. Before applying anywhere, a candidate should confirm that the specific school and program still hold current accreditation, since status can change between admission cycles.
List of Approved Nursing and Midwifery Schools in Anambra State
Anambra State has more than a dozen recognized institutions offering nursing, midwifery, post-basic nursing, or university-affiliated nursing degree programs. The main ones include:
- Department of Nursing Science, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (BNSc degree program)
- School of Nursing, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi
- Anambra State College of Nursing Sciences (ASCONS), Nkpor
- College of Nursing Sciences, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), Nkpor
- School of Nursing, St. Joseph’s Hospital, Adazi-Nnukwu
- School of Nursing, St. Charles Borromeo Specialist Hospital, Onitsha
- School of Nursing, Iyi-Enu Mission Hospital, Ogidi
- College of Nursing Sciences, Ihiala
- College of Nursing Sciences, Alor
- College of Nursing Sciences, Waterside, Onitsha (Midwifery program)
- School of Midwifery, Awka
- School of Nursing, Diocesan Hospital, Amichi
These institutions differ in ownership: some are state-government owned, some are federal (through the teaching hospital), some belong to a university, and others are mission or diocesan hospitals running an approved training school under their health facility. Ownership type has a direct effect on tuition, which the next section explains.
How Nursing School Fees Are Structured in Anambra State
Nursing school fees in Nigeria are rarely a single number. A student’s actual first-year cost is made up of several components:
- Tuition fee — the core academic charge, paid every session.
- Acceptance fee — a one-time payment made once admission is confirmed, generally ranging from ₦20,000 to ₦50,000 depending on the school.
- Accommodation/hostel fee — charged separately in schools that provide hostel space; some institutions make hostel accommodation compulsory for first-year students, others leave it optional.
- Departmental and sundry charges — including library fee, ID card, laboratory/clinical practicum fee, examination fee, and NMCN registration-related charges, typically ranging from ₦20,000 to ₦60,000 combined.
- Uniform and practical kit costs — nursing programs require specific uniforms, aprons, and clinical equipment that students purchase separately from tuition.
Because of this structure, the “total first-year cost” a new student pays is almost always significantly higher than the tuition figure alone. When comparing schools, it helps to ask specifically for the full first-year breakdown rather than tuition in isolation.
Approved Nursing Schools in Anambra State and Their Estimated Fees
The table below gives an estimated fee range for the main categories of approved schools in the state. Figures are approximate, reflect typical charges for a given ownership type, and are subject to change from one admission cycle to the next, so candidates should always confirm current figures directly from the school’s admissions office before making financial commitments.
| School / Category | Ownership Type | Estimated Annual Tuition | Estimated Total First-Year Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nnamdi Azikiwe University (BNSc Nursing) | Federal university | ₦120,000 – ₦200,000+ | ₦350,000 – ₦550,000+ |
| School of Nursing, NAUTH, Nnewi | Federal teaching hospital | ₦75,000 – ₦110,000 | ₦270,000 – ₦380,000 |
| ASCONS, Nkpor | Anambra State Government | ₦60,000 – ₦100,000 | ₦200,000 – ₦320,000 |
| CON, COOUTH, Nkpor | State university teaching hospital | ₦70,000 – ₦110,000 | ₦230,000 – ₦350,000 |
| Mission/diocesan schools (St. Joseph’s Adazi-Nnukwu, Iyi-Enu Ogidi, St. Charles Borromeo Onitsha, Diocesan Hospital Amichi) | Mission/church-owned | ₦80,000 – ₦150,000 | ₦250,000 – ₦400,000 |
| School of Midwifery, Awka | State-affiliated | ₦60,000 – ₦100,000 | ₦200,000 – ₦320,000 |
A pattern is clear from the table: state-owned and government-affiliated schools tend to sit at the lower end of the cost range, university degree programs (BNSc) cost the most because of the additional university-wide charges layered on top of departmental fees, and mission-run hospital schools fall somewhere in between, often with slightly higher charges than pure state institutions but lower than a full university degree track.
A Note on Recent Fee Changes at NAUTH
Fee stability is not guaranteed once a school migrates its curriculum. The School of Nursing at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, had charged basic nursing and midwifery students a long-standing tuition of ₦90,000 per session for years. In 2026, hospital management attempted to raise this fee to ₦580,000 as part of a transition from the old basic RN/RM programme to the newer ND/HND structure introduced by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, a change of more than 500 percent. The proposed increase triggered student protests, after which the Chief Medical Director announced that the new fee was suspended following meetings with student leaders, school management, and the governing board. This episode illustrates two things prospective students should keep in mind: first, that a shift from the old basic nursing programme to the ND/HND framework can come with a significant fee restructuring, and second, that published fee figures for any school can change abruptly between sessions, making it important to check directly with the school before budgeting.
Admission Requirements Common to These Schools
While fees and ownership differ, most approved nursing schools in Anambra State share similar entry requirements:
- A minimum of five credit passes in the West African Examination Council (WAEC) or National Examination Council (NECO) results, including English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, obtained in not more than two sittings.
- A UTME score that meets or exceeds the school’s set minimum, which commonly starts around 150 for diploma-level nursing programs and rises higher for university-affiliated BNSc programs.
- Successful completion of the school’s Post-UTME screening exercise, where applicable, which combines with the UTME score and O’Level results to determine final selection.
- Submission of required documents at the point of application, including passport photographs, birth certificate or age declaration, and local government identification, with some schools still running an in-person, paper-based application process rather than a fully online one.
Candidates combining WAEC and NECO results across the required subjects are generally accepted, provided the combined sittings do not exceed two.
Choosing Between These Schools
The right choice depends less on which school has the lowest fee and more on what a candidate actually needs. A student prioritizing cost should lean toward ASCONS or the School of Midwifery, Awka, both of which carry a public-sector fee structure. A student who wants a full university degree (BNSc) rather than a diploma-level certification should expect to pay considerably more at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, but gains a bachelor’s-level qualification that can open more advanced career and further-study pathways. A student drawn to a specific clinical environment, such as the large patient volume at NAUTH Nnewi or the mission-hospital setting of Iyi-Enu Ogidi, should weigh the practical training exposure alongside the fee. In every case, verifying current NMCN accreditation status before applying protects against enrolling in a program that may later face an admissions embargo or lose recognition for certification purposes.
FAQs
Are all listed schools currently accredited by NMCN?
Accreditation status is reviewed periodically and can change. While the schools listed here have historically appeared on NMCN’s approved list for Anambra State, candidates should confirm current status directly on the council’s official approved schools list before applying, since some institutions move between full accreditation, provisional accreditation, or an admissions embargo.
Is the BNSc program at Nnamdi Azikiwe University more expensive than diploma-level nursing schools?
Yes. A BNSc degree runs through the full university fee structure, which includes departmental and faculty charges on top of nursing-specific costs, making it generally more expensive than diploma-level programs run through a state college or hospital-based school.
Do nursing school fees in Anambra State change often?
Yes, and sometimes sharply. Fee reviews tend to accompany curriculum changes, such as the shift from the older basic nursing programme to the ND/HND structure, which can bring substantial tuition increases. Always confirm the current fee schedule with the specific school rather than relying on figures from a previous admission cycle.
Can I apply to more than one nursing school in Anambra State at the same time?
There is no rule preventing a candidate from purchasing forms and sitting for screening at multiple approved schools, provided each school’s application requirements, including UTME score threshold and required subjects, are met independently.