College of Nursing Sciences, Birnin Kudu, is one of three campuses under the Jigawa State College of Nursing Sciences, alongside the Hadejia and Babura campuses. It is a state-owned health training institution that prepares candidates for careers in nursing and midwifery under the regulation of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN). This article explains, in direct terms, the programmes the college runs, who qualifies for admission, what the process looks like, and what applicants should expect to pay.
About the College of Nursing Sciences, Birnin Kudu
The institution began as the School of Nursing, Birnin Kudu, established in May 1996. It sits along the Kano–Maiduguri Road in Birnin Kudu town, about 47 kilometres from Dutse, the Jigawa State capital. A School of Midwifery was added at the same site in 2010. In May 2012, the state government upgraded both schools into the Jigawa State College of Nursing and Midwifery through State Law No. 7, signed by the then Executive Governor. The college later expanded its reach by opening additional campuses at Hadejia in 2017 and Babura in 2022, with Birnin Kudu remaining the pioneer and administrative campus.
Programmes at the college run in line with the curriculum and standards set by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, which means graduates who complete their training and pass the council’s licensing examination become registered nurses or registered midwives eligible to practice anywhere in Nigeria. In recent admission cycles, the college has also aligned its Basic Nursing programme with ND/HND-style admission processed through JAMB, reflecting a broader reform in Nigerian nursing education that brings nursing training closer to the tertiary education structure used by polytechnics and colleges of health technology.
Programmes Offered at the College
The Birnin Kudu campus runs the following categories of training:
| Programme | Duration | Who It Is For |
|---|---|---|
| Basic/General Nursing (ND Nursing) | 3 years | Fresh candidates entering nursing training directly from secondary school |
| Basic Midwifery | 3 years | Fresh candidates seeking to train as midwives |
| Post Basic Nursing | 2 years | Candidates who are already registered nurses and want an additional specialised or advanced qualification |
| Public Health Nursing | Varies by intake | Registered nurses seeking specialisation in community and public health nursing |
General Nursing and Basic Midwifery are the two entry-level tracks that most fresh secondary school leavers apply for. Post Basic Nursing and Public Health Nursing, on the other hand, are advanced tracks meant for candidates who already hold professional registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and want to build on that qualification. Not every advanced programme runs every session, so intending applicants for Post Basic or Public Health Nursing should confirm directly with the college whether admission is currently open for their preferred track before applying.
Admission Requirements for General Nursing and Basic Midwifery
Candidates applying for the entry-level General Nursing or Basic Midwifery programmes at Birnin Kudu must meet the following conditions:
- Hold a Senior Secondary School Certificate (WASSCE, NECO, or their equivalent, including NABTEB) with a minimum of five credit passes.
- Include English Language and either Physics, Chemistry, or Biology/Health Science among the five credits, with Mathematics also commonly required as part of the standard subject combination.
- Have obtained these credits in not more than two sittings.
- Meet the minimum age requirement, which the college generally sets at 16 to 18 years and above at the point of admission.
- Score at least the minimum UTME cut-off mark set by the college for that admission cycle. Recent cycles have used a cut-off of 150 in the JAMB UTME.
- Have sat for the JAMB subject combination the college specifies for nursing-related admission, which typically includes English Language, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.
- Select the College of Nursing Sciences, Birnin Kudu Campus, as first choice institution on the JAMB portal, since the college’s Post-UTME screening is generally restricted to candidates who chose it as their first choice.
Candidates whose JAMB subject combination does not match what the college specifies risk having an invalid application, so it is important to confirm the exact subject requirement before registering for UTME in the year of application.
Admission Requirements for Post Basic Nursing and Public Health Nursing
Candidates applying for Post Basic Nursing must already hold a certificate of registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, along with evidence of notification and a valid practising licence. In addition to this professional registration, applicants are generally expected to have relevant work experience as a registered nurse before being considered for the advanced programme. Public Health Nursing follows a similar pattern, requiring existing registration as a nurse along with the specific entry conditions the college publishes for that track in a given admission cycle.
Because these two programmes serve already-qualified nurses rather than fresh secondary school leavers, they do not go through the standard JAMB/UTME route. Interested candidates should apply directly through the college’s admission office or its official application portal when the relevant form is announced.
How to Apply to the College of Nursing Sciences, Birnin Kudu
The application process for fresh candidates into General Nursing or Basic Midwifery generally follows this sequence:
- Select the College of Nursing Sciences, Birnin Kudu Campus, as your first-choice institution during JAMB UTME registration, and choose the appropriate nursing-related course.
- Sit for the UTME with the correct subject combination — typically English Language, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.
- Wait for the college to announce its Post-UTME or screening exercise, then visit the official Birnin Kudu Nursing application portal to register.
- Pay the stipulated Post-UTME/application fee online through the portal, then complete the online form with your personal details, UTME details, and O’Level results.
- Submit the completed form before the stated deadline and print your application/examination slip, since this slip carries instructions needed for the next stage of the process.
- Attend the screening exercise or entrance examination as scheduled, and wait for the college to release its admission list.
Application for the fresh-candidate programmes has historically attracted a modest fee, commonly around ₦2,000, paid online before the form can be submitted, exclusive of standard bank or transaction charges. This figure has applied across recent sessions but is not guaranteed to stay unchanged, so applicants should always confirm the exact amount on the official portal at the point of application.
School Fees at the College of Nursing Sciences, Birnin Kudu
As a state-government-funded institution, the College of Nursing Sciences, Birnin Kudu, charges school fees that are considerably lower than what a private nursing school would charge, in line with the subsidised structure typical of state colleges of nursing and midwifery across Nigeria. The exact session fee is not published as a single fixed public figure that applies uniformly across every session and category of student; instead, it is communicated directly to admitted candidates through the college’s Bursary/Accounts unit and its official payment portal once admission is confirmed. Broadly, the total cost a fresh student pays is made up of the following categories:
| Fee Category | What It Covers | Payment Point |
|---|---|---|
| Application/Post-UTME Fee | Processing of the online application and screening exercise | At the point of application |
| Acceptance Fee | Confirming and securing an offered admission slot | After admission list is released |
| Tuition/School Fees | Core academic charges for the session | Start of each session |
| Accommodation Fee | Hostel space, where available and allocated | Start of each session, if hostel is required |
| Departmental/Practical Charges | Uniforms, clinical practicals, and departmental materials specific to nursing/midwifery training | Typically at the start of the programme or each session |
| NMCN Indexing/Registration | Registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria as a student nurse/midwife | Usually after admission is confirmed |
Indigenes of Jigawa State typically pay lower fees than non-indigene applicants, which is a common practice across state-owned nursing and midwifery colleges in Nigeria. Fees are also reviewed periodically by the state government, so a figure that applied in one session does not automatically carry over unchanged to the next. Because of this, the most reliable way to get the exact current amount is to check the fee schedule communicated on the college’s official student payment portal after admission, or to contact the college’s admission or bursary office directly, rather than relying on unofficial figures circulated by third parties.
Payment Process
Once a candidate is offered admission, payment of acceptance and school fees is done through the college’s dedicated online payment platform, which generates the exact amount due for a given student based on their programme, level, and residency status. After payment, students are expected to keep proof of payment for verification during registration and clearance. The college has repeatedly warned prospective and current students against paying fees to unofficial agents or individuals claiming to facilitate faster admission or fee reduction, since all legitimate transactions run through the official portal and designated bank channels only.
Frequently Asked Questions
What programmes does the College of Nursing Sciences, Birnin Kudu, offer?
The college runs Basic/General Nursing and Basic Midwifery as three-year entry-level programmes for fresh candidates, along with Post Basic Nursing and Public Health Nursing as advanced tracks for candidates who are already registered nurses.
What is the minimum UTME score required for admission?
Recent admission cycles have set the cut-off mark at 150 in the JAMB UTME, alongside the required subject combination of English Language, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.
Must a candidate choose Birnin Kudu Campus as first choice on JAMB?
Yes. The college’s Post-UTME screening process is generally open only to candidates who selected the College of Nursing Sciences, Birnin Kudu Campus, as their first-choice institution on the JAMB portal.
How much are the school fees at the College of Nursing Sciences, Birnin Kudu?
The college does not publish one fixed figure that applies to every student and session. Fees depend on the programme, the student’s residency status (indigene or non-indigene of Jigawa State), and periodic reviews by the state government, so admitted candidates receive the exact figure through the official payment portal or the Bursary Department.
Can a registered nurse apply directly for Post Basic Nursing without going through JAMB?
Yes. Post Basic Nursing and Public Health Nursing are meant for candidates who already hold registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, and admission into these tracks is handled directly by the college rather than through the standard UTME route.