Niger Delta University (NDU), located on Wilberforce Island in Bayelsa State, runs one of the accredited state-owned medical training programmes in the South-South region. This article explains the medical and health-related courses available at NDU’s College of Health Sciences, the admission route into each, and the school fees applicable for the 2026/2027 academic session.
About NDU’s College of Health Sciences
Niger Delta University was established in 2000 to serve the educational needs of Bayelsa State and the wider Niger Delta region. The university runs its College of Health Sciences on a dedicated campus on Wilberforce Island, separate from the main academic campus, giving medical and health science students a focused clinical training environment. The College’s Medicine and Surgery programme holds full accreditation from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), with an approved annual admission quota, which confirms that graduates of the programme are eligible to proceed through housemanship and full medical registration in Nigeria.
The College of Health Sciences is organised into two main academic groupings: the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, which covers pre-clinical subjects, and the Faculty of Clinical Sciences, which handles the clinical years of the MBBS programme. Alongside these, NDU runs separate faculties for Pharmacy and Nursing Sciences, both of which fall under the wider umbrella of health-related training at the university.
Medical and Health-Related Courses Offered at NDU
NDU’s course portfolio in the medical and health sciences space covers several distinct degree programmes, each leading to a different professional qualification.
| Programme | Faculty | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine and Surgery | Clinical Sciences / Basic Medical Sciences | MBBS |
| Pharmacy | Faculty of Pharmacy | B.Pharm |
| Nursing Science | Faculty of Nursing Sciences | B.N.Sc |
| Medical Laboratory Science | Basic Medical Sciences | BMLS |
| Human Anatomy | Basic Medical Sciences | B.Sc |
| Human Physiology | Basic Medical Sciences | B.Sc |
| Biochemistry | Basic Medical Sciences | B.Sc |
Medicine and Surgery is the flagship six-year programme within this group, taking students through a pre-clinical stage focused on anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry, followed by a clinical stage covering medicine, surgery, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, and community health. Pharmacy and Nursing Science are run as separate professional programmes with their own faculties, while Medical Laboratory Science, Anatomy, and Physiology serve students interested in diagnostic, research, or academic careers within the health sciences rather than direct clinical practice.
Admission Requirements for NDU Medical Courses
Gaining admission into any of NDU’s medical or health-related programmes requires meeting both the university’s general entry standard and the specific subject requirements for the chosen course.
- O’Level requirement: Five credit passes in the relevant subjects from WAEC, NECO, or an equivalent examination body, obtained in not more than two sittings, and always including English Language and Mathematics.
- UTME subject combination for Medicine and Surgery: English Language, Biology, Physics, and Chemistry.
- UTME subject combination for Pharmacy, Nursing, and Medical Laboratory Science: English Language, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, broadly mirroring the Medicine and Surgery combination given the shared science foundation across these courses.
- JAMB score: NDU’s general institutional cut-off mark sits above the national JAMB minimum for universities, and Medicine and Surgery, along with Pharmacy, consistently records one of the highest departmental cut-off marks at the university because demand for these courses exceeds the available admission slots each session.
- Post-UTME and aggregate scoring: After meeting the JAMB cut-off, candidates must complete NDU’s Post-UTME screening. The university then calculates an aggregate score by combining the JAMB result with the Post-UTME result, and this aggregate is measured against the departmental cut-off mark to determine final admission.
A candidate targeting Medicine and Surgery specifically should treat the departmental cut-off mark as considerably higher than the general university benchmark, since the MBBS programme has a fixed and limited admission quota approved by MDCN, which keeps competition for available seats consistently high.
NDU School Fees Structure
NDU operates a differentiated fee structure based on state of origin, a common practice among Nigerian state universities. Indigenes of Bayelsa State receive a tuition waiver and pay only the standard general levies, while non-indigenes pay a tuition component on top of those same levies. In addition, courses under the College of Health Sciences, including Basic Medical Sciences, Clinical Sciences, Pharmacy, and Nursing, attract an extra faculty-specific bench fee that covers laboratory equipment, practical training resources, and clinical placement costs not required by non-science faculties.
| Fee Component | Bayelsa Indigene | Non-Indigene |
|---|---|---|
| Base general levies (all faculties) | ₦50,000 – ₦60,000 | ₦120,000 – ₦150,000 |
| Additional bench fee (Basic Medical Sciences, Clinical Sciences, Pharmacy, Nursing) | ₦50,000 – ₦100,000 (approximate, varies by department) | ₦50,000 – ₦100,000 (approximate, varies by department) |
| Estimated total for Medicine, Pharmacy, or Nursing (fresh students) | ₦100,000 – ₦180,000 | ₦170,000 – ₦250,000 |
A few clarifications apply to this structure:
- The tuition waiver for Bayelsa indigenes applies to all courses, including Medicine and Surgery. This means an indigene admitted into MBBS at NDU pays only the base levies plus the health sciences bench fee, making it one of the more affordable state-run medical programmes in Nigeria for candidates from Bayelsa State.
- Non-indigenes pay a fixed additional tuition component, generally cited at around ₦50,000 on top of the base levies, before the health sciences bench fee is added for Medicine, Pharmacy, and Nursing students.
- Bench fees vary slightly by department and level. Nursing, for example, recorded a modest per-session increase in a recent fee review, showing that health sciences bench charges are adjusted from time to time even when the core general levies remain stable.
- Returning students generally pay less than fresh students, since one-time entry charges such as matriculation, orientation, and identity card fees apply only in the first year.
- These figures exclude accommodation, feeding, and personal upkeep. Students housed at the College of Health Sciences campus on Wilberforce Island pay hostel accommodation separately from tuition, and this cost varies depending on room type and availability.
Because NDU periodically reviews its fee structure and because bench fees can shift by department more frequently than general levies, a candidate should confirm the exact current figure for Medicine and Surgery, Pharmacy, or Nursing through the university’s official student portal before making any payment.
Additional Costs for Medical Students at NDU
Beyond the standard fee schedule, medical and health science students at NDU should plan for a few recurring costs tied specifically to clinical and laboratory-based training.
- Practical and laboratory materials: Dissection kits, laboratory coats, and other practical equipment are typically the student’s responsibility and are not included in the standard fee schedule.
- Clinical posting costs: As MBBS, Pharmacy, and Nursing students move into clinical years, some hospital-based postings may carry small additional charges depending on the specific rotation and facility used.
- Acceptance fee: All fresh students, regardless of faculty, pay a one-time, non-refundable acceptance fee once an admission offer is confirmed, which is separate from and paid before the session’s tuition and bench fees.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medicine and Surgery at NDU accredited?
Yes. NDU’s College of Health Sciences holds full MDCN accreditation for its Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) programme, with an approved admission quota set by the council.
Do Bayelsa indigenes pay less for Medicine and Surgery at NDU?
Yes. Bayelsa indigenes receive a full tuition waiver across all courses, including Medicine and Surgery, and pay only the base general levies plus the applicable health sciences bench fee.
What subjects are required for Medicine and Surgery at NDU?
English Language, Biology, Physics, and Chemistry are required at UTME level, alongside five O’Level credits in the relevant science subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.
Are Pharmacy and Nursing fees the same as Medicine and Surgery at NDU?
They are structured similarly, since all four fall under the College of Health Sciences bench fee category, but exact amounts can differ slightly by department and are adjusted periodically.
How can a candidate confirm the exact 2026/2027 fee for their department?
The safest method is checking the personalised invoice generated on NDU’s official student portal after admission, since this reflects the specific, department-level figure for the current session rather than a general estimate.