Borno State University, widely known by its acronym BOSU, now operates under a new official name: Kashim Ibrahim University (KIU), Maiduguri, following a renaming that took formal effect on 4 August 2025. Most search activity and public conversation still uses the old “Borno State University” name, so this article addresses the institution under both names while giving accurate, current information about its medical and health science courses and the school fees attached to each.
Why the Name Change Matters Before You Apply
Anyone researching this university for admission purposes should know that Borno State University and Kashim Ibrahim University are the same institution at the same location in Maiduguri, not two separate universities. The Borno State Executive Council approved the renaming in January 2025 to honour Sir Kashim Ibrahim, the first Governor of the defunct Northern Nigeria Region, and the change became official later that year after the necessary legislative and regulatory steps, including notification to the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). If you search for admission forms, cut-off marks, or fee schedules and encounter both names, treat them as referring to the same university, since older publications and some search platforms have not yet fully updated to the new name.
Does This University Offer Medicine and Surgery (MBBS)?
Yes. The university runs a Faculty of Basic Medical and Allied Health Sciences (also referred to in some university documents as the College of Medical and Health Sciences), and Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) is one of its accredited undergraduate programmes. This makes it one of the state universities in the North-East geopolitical zone with an active clinical medicine track, alongside its other health science offerings.
The university states that it is fully accredited by the NUC, with the large majority of its programmes carrying full accreditation status. Candidates applying specifically for MBBS should still confirm the current accreditation status for that programme directly through the university’s admissions office or the NUC, since accreditation for medical programmes across Nigerian universities is reviewed periodically and status can change between admission cycles.
Full List of Medical and Health-Related Courses
Beyond Medicine and Surgery, the university’s medical and allied health sciences faculty runs several other undergraduate programmes. These include:
- Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) — the flagship six-year clinical programme combining basic medical sciences with hospital-based clinical training.
- Nursing Science — a full degree-level nursing programme preparing graduates for professional registration and nursing practice.
- Physiotherapy — trains students in physical rehabilitation and movement-based therapeutic treatment.
- Radiography — focuses on diagnostic medical imaging and the operation of radiological equipment.
- Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) — covers diagnostic laboratory testing, pathology, and clinical sample analysis.
- Health Information Management Science (HIMS) — trains students in the management, coding, and administration of patient health records and hospital data systems.
This spread of courses gives applicants interested broadly in healthcare several entry points beyond clinical medicine itself, each carrying its own admission cut-off mark and fee bracket.
School Fees for Medical and Health Science Courses
The university applies a tiered fee structure based on residency category: indigenes of Borno State, non-indigenes from other Nigerian states, and foreign students. Indigenes benefit from a tuition waiver, meaning tuition itself is free for them, though they still pay consolidated service and registration charges that make up the bulk of what they are billed each session. Non-indigenes and foreign students pay considerably more, reflecting the standard practice among Nigerian state universities of subsidising education primarily for residents of the owning state.
| Programme Category | Indigene (Fresh, ₦) | Non-Indigene (Fresh, ₦) | Foreign Student (Fresh, ₦) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) | 150,000 | 250,000 | 330,000 |
| Nursing Science | 100,000 | 200,000 | 280,000 |
| Physiotherapy | 100,000 | 200,000 | 280,000 |
| Radiography | 100,000 | 200,000 | 280,000 |
| Medical Laboratory Science | 100,000 | 200,000 | 280,000 |
| Health Information Management Science | 100,000 | 200,000 | 280,000 |
As the table shows, MBBS carries a noticeably higher fee than the other health science courses across all three residency categories, reflecting the greater cost of running a full clinical medicine programme, including cadaver materials, extended laboratory access, and coordination with teaching hospital facilities for clinical rotations. Nursing Science, Physiotherapy, Radiography, Medical Laboratory Science, and Health Information Management Science are grouped together at a shared fee level, since they draw on overlapping basic science instruction and laboratory infrastructure within the same faculty.
What These Fees Actually Cover
The figures above are consolidated totals rather than tuition alone. For indigenes specifically, since tuition is waived, the amount billed largely represents registration fees, laboratory and practical charges, student services levies, identity card processing, and other compulsory charges bundled into a single consolidated fee. Non-indigenes and foreign students pay the same category of charges plus an added tuition component, which accounts for the substantially higher totals in those columns. Students in clinical years of MBBS, and to some extent Nursing Science and Physiotherapy, should also budget separately for lab coats, stethoscopes, clinical uniforms, and textbooks, none of which are included in the official consolidated fee.
Acceptance Fee and Accommodation Costs
On top of programme-specific fees, every newly admitted student, regardless of faculty, pays a one-time, non-refundable acceptance fee of ₦10,000 to confirm their admission slot. Students who choose to live in university hostel accommodation pay a subsidised hostel fee of ₦25,000 per academic session, which is considerably lower than typical off-campus rent in Maiduguri and reflects the university’s effort to keep total cost of attendance manageable, particularly for indigene students already benefiting from the tuition waiver.
JAMB and Departmental Cut-Off Marks for Medical Courses
Gaining admission into any of the courses above requires meeting both the university’s general UTME cut-off mark and a higher, course-specific departmental cut-off mark. For the current admission cycle, the general cut-off mark for the university stands at 140, which qualifies a candidate to register for Post-UTME screening across most non-medical courses. Medical and health science courses, however, require a considerably higher score:
| Course | Required UTME/Cut-Off Mark |
|---|---|
| General university minimum (most courses) | 140 |
| Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) | 200 |
| Nursing Science | 180 |
| Other health science courses (Physiotherapy, Radiography, MLS, HIMS) | Generally between 180 and 200, varying by session |
Candidates aiming for MBBS should treat 200 as the realistic target score, while those aiming for Nursing Science and the other allied health courses should aim for at least 180, since these figures represent departmental thresholds set specifically because of high applicant demand relative to available admission slots in the medical and health sciences faculty.
Admission Requirements for Medical and Health Science Courses
Beyond the UTME score, candidates applying for MBBS, Nursing Science, or any other course in the medical faculty need to meet the following conditions:
- Five O’Level credits, including English Language, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics, obtained from WAEC, NECO, or an equivalent body in not more than two sittings.
- A UTME subject combination of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and English Language, the standard JAMB requirement for medicine and health science courses.
- A UTME score that meets or exceeds the relevant departmental cut-off mark for the specific course applied for.
- Successful completion of the university’s Post-UTME screening exercise, conducted after JAMB releases UTME results each admission cycle.
- Verifiable O’Level results at the point of screening, since awaiting-result candidates are typically not considered for admission into these competitive programmes.
Why Medical Courses Cost More Than General Faculty Programmes
The cost gap between MBBS, Nursing Science, and the other allied health courses on one hand, and general Arts, Social Science, or standard Science courses on the other, reflects the additional infrastructure these programmes require. Clinical training facilities, laboratory equipment, specimen and practical materials, and coordination with teaching hospitals for supervised clinical placement all add recurring costs that a purely classroom-based degree does not carry. Even with these higher charges, the university’s fee structure remains considerably more affordable than what a private Nigerian university would charge for an equivalent MBBS or nursing degree, particularly for indigenes of Borno State who benefit from the tuition waiver.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Borno State University the same as Kashim Ibrahim University?
Yes. Borno State University was officially renamed Kashim Ibrahim University (KIU) effective 4 August 2025. Both names refer to the same institution in Maiduguri.
Does the university offer Medicine and Surgery (MBBS)?
Yes. MBBS is offered under the Faculty of Basic Medical and Allied Health Sciences, alongside Nursing Science, Physiotherapy, Radiography, Medical Laboratory Science, and Health Information Management Science.
How much does MBBS cost for an indigene student?
Indigene students pay a consolidated fee of ₦150,000 for MBBS as fresh students, since tuition itself is waived for Borno State indigenes.
How much do non-indigene students pay for Nursing Science?
Non-indigene students pay ₦200,000 for Nursing Science as fresh students, compared with ₦100,000 for indigenes.
What is the cut-off mark for MBBS at this university?
MBBS requires a UTME score of 200, considerably higher than the general university minimum of 140.