Students who want to study Nursing in Yobe State need to know which institutions actually hold valid approval from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) before applying. Admission into an unapproved or unaccredited programme wastes years of study, because graduates from such programmes cannot sit for the NMCN licensing examination or register as practicing nurses. This article lists the nursing training institutions in Yobe State that carry genuine NMCN recognition, explains what each one offers, and gives a realistic picture of what students should budget for school fees.
Why NMCN Approval Matters Before Choosing a Nursing School
The NMCN is the regulatory body responsible for approving every school of nursing, school of midwifery, post-basic nursing programme, and university department of nursing in the country. The council reviews each institution’s staffing, clinical facilities, and curriculum before granting accreditation, and it renews or withdraws that accreditation periodically. Full accreditation status lasts five years, provisional accreditation lasts two years, and a school under embargo cannot admit new students until it corrects the deficiencies the council identified.
This is why a prospective nursing student in Yobe State should never rely solely on an admission advert or a form-selling agent’s claim that a school is “approved.” The safer approach is to confirm the institution’s name against the NMCN’s published list of approved schools, which the council updates and releases periodically, or to check directly with the school’s admissions office for its current accreditation status.
Approved Nursing Training Institutions in Yobe State
Three main institutions currently provide NMCN-recognised nursing training pathways connected to Yobe State.
1. Shehu Sule College of Nursing and Midwifery, Damaturu
This is the oldest dedicated nursing training institution in the state. It began in 1993 as a School of Nursing running the Basic Nursing programme, and it was upgraded to a full College of Nursing in 2012 through state legislation. A School of Midwifery arm was added in 2015. The college, owned by the Yobe State Government, currently runs several programmes:
- Basic Nursing (leading to Registered Nurse status)
- Basic Midwifery, open to female candidates only
- Community Midwifery, a two-year programme for female candidates
- Community Nursing, a two-year programme open to both male and female candidates
- Post Basic Nursing programmes, including an emerging Post Basic Paediatric Nursing track currently going through NMCN resource verification
Entry into the Basic Nursing and Basic Midwifery tracks requires five credit passes in English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Physics, and Chemistry, obtained at not more than two sittings through WAEC, NECO, or NABTEB, along with a UTME score that has recently sat around 180 and above. The college conducts its own Post-UTME screening exercise for shortlisting.
2. College of Nursing Sciences, Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Nguru
This is a federally affiliated nursing training institution attached to the Federal Medical Centre in Nguru, in the northern part of Yobe State. It runs an ND (National Diploma) Basic Nursing programme. Candidates need the same five O’Level credit combination in English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Physics, and Chemistry, at not more than two sittings, and a JAMB UTME score that has recently been set at a minimum of 150. Because it operates under a Federal Medical Centre rather than a state hospital, this institution tends to draw applicants from across the wider North-East region, not just Yobe State indigenes.
3. Department of Nursing Sciences, Yobe State University (YSU), Damaturu
Yobe State University runs a full degree programme, the Bachelor of Nursing Science (BNSc), through its Faculty of Clinical Sciences/Medicine. This route is different from the diploma-based Basic Nursing programmes offered at the two colleges above, since it leads directly to a university degree rather than a Registered Nurse certificate from a school of nursing. Candidates apply through the standard UTME/Direct Entry route used for all YSU undergraduate programmes, and admission is more competitive because nursing consistently attracts one of the higher cut-off marks among health-related courses at the university.
It is worth noting that Galtima Mai Kyari College of Health Sciences and Technology, Nguru, also based in Yobe State, is sometimes mistaken for a nursing school because it trains other categories of health workers. In reality, this institution focuses on Community Health Extension Workers, Environmental Health Technology, Pharmacy Technician, Medical Laboratory Technician, Dental Surgery Technician, and similar allied health diplomas. It does not run a standalone Nursing programme, so candidates specifically interested in becoming Registered Nurses should not confuse it with the three institutions listed above.
Comparison of the Approved Nursing Pathways in Yobe State
| Institution | Ownership | Qualification Awarded | Typical UTME Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shehu Sule College of Nursing and Midwifery, Damaturu | Yobe State Government | Basic Nursing / Basic Midwifery Certificate (RN/RM) | Around 180 and above |
| College of Nursing Sciences, FMC Nguru | Federal Government | ND Basic Nursing | Around 150 and above |
| Department of Nursing Sciences, Yobe State University | Yobe State Government (University) | BNSc (Bachelor’s Degree) | Competitive, generally above the general UTME benchmark |
School Fees for Nursing Programmes in Yobe State
Nursing school fees in Yobe State, as in most of Nigeria’s public institutions, are structured around tuition, an acceptance or admission fee, a screening/Post-UTME fee, departmental and library charges, an ID card fee, examination fees, and hostel accommodation for students who choose to live on campus. Fees for indigenes of Yobe State are consistently lower than fees charged to non-indigenes, a pattern that applies across almost every state-owned tertiary institution in Nigeria.
For the colleges of nursing (Shehu Sule College of Nursing and Midwifery, and the FMC Nguru nursing programme), the application/screening form itself typically costs between ₦5,000 and ₦7,500, paid through a REMITA-generated invoice on the school’s application portal. Once admitted, students of state-owned schools of nursing in Nigeria generally pay tuition and departmental charges that range from roughly ₦50,000 to ₦150,000 per session for indigenes of the state, with non-indigenes and students in federally affiliated programmes sometimes paying somewhat more. Because nursing programmes involve laboratory work, clinical placement, and uniform requirements, the total cost per session, including accommodation and clinical practicum charges, commonly settles higher than the base tuition figure alone once every line item is added.
For the BNSc programme at Yobe State University, fees follow the university’s general undergraduate fee schedule rather than a separate nursing-specific charge, though science-based and health-related departments, including Medicine, Nursing, Medical Laboratory Science, and Anatomy, are usually placed in a higher fee bracket than the arts and social science departments. Recent sessions have shown YSU fees for new students in these science-heavy departments falling in a broad range that runs from roughly ₦40,000 to just above ₦50,000 for tuition-related charges alone, with additional levies for accommodation, library use, and departmental practicals added on top. Because public university fee schedules are reviewed from one session to the next and can shift depending on government subvention and inflation, students should treat any fee figure as an estimate and confirm the exact, current breakdown from the university bursary or the official fee schedule published on the school’s portal before making payment.
It is important to state plainly that none of these institutions currently operates an installment payment plan as a default policy. Most public nursing schools in Nigeria expect full payment of approved fees within a stated deadline each session, and late payment can result in a student being barred from writing examinations or losing their admission slot entirely.
Admission Requirements Common to Nursing Programmes in Yobe State
Across all three approved pathways, certain requirements repeat consistently:
- Five O’Level credit passes in English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Physics, and Chemistry, from WAEC, NECO, or NABTEB, obtained at not more than two sittings.
- A valid UTME registration with the institution selected as the applicant’s choice of school, or an appropriate change-of-institution/change-of-course request processed through JAMB.
- A passing score in the institution’s own Post-UTME or entrance screening exercise.
- A minimum age requirement, generally set at 16 years for entry into Basic Nursing and Basic Midwifery training.
- Candidates awaiting O’Level results are typically not eligible to apply, and a combination of NABTEB results with WAEC or NECO results is not accepted by these Yobe State nursing institutions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many approved nursing schools are there in Yobe State?
There are three main NMCN-recognised nursing training pathways in the state: Shehu Sule College of Nursing and Midwifery in Damaturu, the College of Nursing Sciences at the Federal Medical Centre, Nguru, and the Department of Nursing Sciences at Yobe State University.
Is the College of Health Sciences and Technology, Nguru, a nursing school?
No. It trains other categories of health workers, such as Community Health Extension Workers and Medical Laboratory Technicians, but it does not run a standalone Nursing programme.
What is the minimum UTME score for nursing in Yobe State?
This varies by institution. Shehu Sule College of Nursing and Midwifery has recently required a minimum of around 180, while the FMC Nguru nursing programme has recently required a minimum of around 150. Yobe State University’s BNSc programme is more competitive and generally requires a higher aggregate score.
Do these schools accept candidates from other states?
Yes, but indigenes of Yobe State typically pay lower fees than non-indigenes, and some programmes may give preference to state indigenes during selection.
Can I pay nursing school fees in installments in Yobe State?
Generally, no. Most of these institutions require full payment of the approved fees within the stated deadline for each session, and late payment can affect a student’s ability to sit for examinations.