The College of Nursing Sciences, Gusau (also known by its acronym ZACONS — Zamfara State College of Nursing Sciences), is a state-owned health training institution located in Gusau, Zamfara State. It trains students for careers in nursing and midwifery and is fully accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN). This article explains what the college is, which programmes it runs, the entry requirements for each programme, the application process, and what is currently known about fees for prospective students applying for the 2026/2027 academic session.
Background of the College
The institution was carved out of the former Zamfara State College of Nursing and Midwifery through Zamfara State Law No. 13 of November 2013, with a further legal instrument, Zamfara State Law No. 11, passed on 1st August 2019. The college operates under the state Ministry of Health and holds full accreditation status for its programmes. It is situated at No. 3 Samaru Area, Gusau, with a postal address of P.M.B. 2227, Zamfara State.
The college’s mission centers on producing nurses and midwives with strong critical thinking, analytical ability, and evidence-based practice skills who can deliver quality healthcare at all levels — from community health posts to tertiary hospitals. A related institution, the Nana Babajo School of Midwifery, Gusau, runs under the same administrative umbrella and handles the Basic Midwifery programme.
Programmes Offered
The college currently runs several NMCN-approved training programmes, each with a different duration and entry pathway. The table below summarises the main programmes.
| Programme | Duration | Structure | Awarding Body |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Diploma (ND) in Nursing | 3 years | 6 semesters | NMCN-approved |
| Basic Nursing Programme | 3 years | 6 semesters | NMCN-approved |
| Community Nursing Programme | 2 years | 4 semesters | NMCN-approved |
| Post Basic Nursing Programme | 18 months | 3 semesters | NMCN-approved |
| Basic Midwifery Programme | 3 years | 6 semesters | NMCN-approved (Nana Babajo School of Midwifery) |
| Community Midwifery Programme | Varies by intake | — | NMCN-approved |
| Foundation Year Programme (FYP) | 1 year | Remedial | Women for Health (W4H) initiative |
The Foundation Year Programme deserves a note of its own: it is a remedial track designed to increase the number of female health workers by helping candidates who do not yet meet the direct entry requirements build up their academic qualifications before joining a full nursing or midwifery programme.
Admission Requirements for 2026/2027
Entry requirements differ slightly depending on the programme a candidate is applying for. The requirements below reflect the standard criteria the college has applied in recent admission cycles and are expected to carry over into the 2026/2027 session, though candidates should always confirm the exact cut-off and subject combination on the college’s official portal before applying, since requirements can be adjusted by management from one session to another.
For ND Nursing and Basic Nursing: A candidate needs a minimum of five credit passes in West African Examinations Council (WAEC), National Examinations Council (NECO), or National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) results, obtained in not more than two sittings. The five credits must include English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. Candidates are also expected to meet a minimum JAMB UTME score — in recent sessions this cut-off has been set at 160 marks — and candidates must have chosen the college correctly on their JAMB registration or be prepared to indicate it during the change-of-institution window.
For Community Nursing: Five credit passes are required, including English Language and Biology, plus any three other relevant subjects from a candidate’s O’Level result.
For Basic Midwifery and Community Midwifery: These programmes generally follow a similar credit requirement to nursing — five credits including English Language and Biology — though female candidates are typically given preference for midwifery admission, in line with NMCN guidelines for the profession, and an age requirement (commonly between 16 and 35 years at the point of admission) applies.
For Post Basic Nursing: This programme is open only to candidates who already hold a Registered Nurse (RN) qualification and NMCN registration, since it builds on an existing nursing credential rather than starting from an O’Level base.
The table below summarises the credit requirements by programme for quick reference.
| Programme | Minimum Credits Required | Compulsory Subjects | JAMB Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| ND Nursing / Basic Nursing | 5 credits (max 2 sittings) | English, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics | Minimum UTME score (typically around 160) |
| Community Nursing | 5 credits (max 2 sittings) | English, Biology + 3 others | Not always compulsory; check current notice |
| Basic Midwifery | 5 credits (max 2 sittings) | English, Biology + others | Age limit applies; preference for female candidates |
| Post Basic Nursing | Existing RN qualification | N/A | Not applicable |
Required Documents
Candidates applying to the college for the 2026/2027 session should prepare the following before starting the online application:
- O’Level result(s) — WAEC, NECO, or NABTEB, showing the required credits.
- Birth certificate or a sworn declaration of age.
- A recent passport photograph, usually uploaded in the format specified on the portal.
- Local Government Identification or an indigene letter, where applicable, particularly for candidates applying under a state quota.
- Payment receipt or transaction reference for the application fee.
- JAMB result slip, for programmes that require a UTME score.
How to Apply
The application process follows a standard online sequence:
- Visit the college’s official application portal and register with a valid email address and phone number to create a personal applicant account.
- Generate a payment invoice from the portal for the specific programme being applied for.
- Pay the application fee through the payment channel indicated — this is usually an online card payment or a designated bank branch.
- Log back into the portal once payment is confirmed and complete the application form with accurate personal, academic, and next-of-kin details.
- Upload the required documents listed above in the specified file format.
- Submit the form and print or save the confirmation slip, which is typically required for the entrance examination and interview stages.
After the form has been submitted, the college conducts a written entrance examination (sometimes combined with a Post-UTME style screening) followed by an oral interview for shortlisted candidates. Historically, the sequence has run over a few weeks — form sales open, entrance examination follows about two weeks later, results are released within days, and interviews are scheduled shortly after. Exact dates change every session, so candidates should rely on the current notice published on the college website rather than dates from a previous year.
School Fees
School fees at the College of Nursing Sciences, Gusau, are set by the college management ahead of each session and are typically communicated through the official admission notice and student portal rather than published as a fixed, unchanging figure. Because Zamfara State subsidises training for its indigenes at this institution, tuition for state-sponsored students is usually lower than what non-indigene or self-sponsored candidates pay, and the total cost a student sees also depends on whether they choose hostel accommodation, uniform and clinical kit purchases, and departmental levies.
What can be stated with more certainty is the cost of the admission/application form itself, which the college publishes at the start of each admission cycle. Recent sessions have shown the following pattern:
| Item | Recent Fee (Naira) | Session |
|---|---|---|
| ND Nursing application form | ₦12,000 | 2024/2025 |
| ND Nursing application form | ₦13,500 | 2025/2026 |
| Community Nursing application form | ₦8,500 | 2024/2025 |
Based on this pattern, application form fees for the 2026/2027 session are likely to fall in a similar range, though a modest upward adjustment from one session to the next is common across Nigerian nursing colleges due to inflation and portal maintenance costs. The full school fees schedule — covering tuition, accreditation levy, library charges, examination fees, hostel fees for students who opt for accommodation, and clinical practicum costs — is released to successful candidates after admission is confirmed, usually alongside the matriculation or registration notice.
Candidates should treat any fee figure not sourced from the official college portal or an authenticated admission letter with caution. Nursing college admissions in Nigeria attract a recurring pattern of unofficial “agents” who advertise admission slots or claim to expedite processing for a fee through phone calls or WhatsApp messages. The college’s genuine process runs entirely through its own online portal, and payments should only be made against invoices generated on that platform or through officially designated bank channels.
Contact Information
The college’s administrative office is located at No. 3 Samaru Area, Gusau, Zamfara State, with the postal address P.M.B. 2227, Zamfara State, Nigeria (postal code 820212). Enquiries can be directed to the college through its official phone line and the application portal linked from the main college website.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the College of Nursing Sciences, Gusau, accept direct entry?
Direct entry is not the standard route for this college. Most programmes admit candidates through O’Level credit requirements combined with a JAMB score and the college’s own entrance examination, except Post Basic Nursing, which requires an existing RN qualification.
Can non-indigenes of Zamfara State apply?
Yes, non-indigenes can apply, though admission slots often favour Zamfara State indigenes under the state quota system, and non-indigene applicants may pay a different fee structure than indigenes.
Is JAMB compulsory for all programmes?
JAMB is generally compulsory for ND Nursing and Basic Nursing. Some other programmes, such as Community Nursing, have in past sessions been listed without an explicit JAMB requirement, so candidates should confirm this detail on the current admission notice for the programme they are applying to.
How many sittings are allowed for O’Level credits?
A maximum of two sittings is allowed when combining WAEC, NECO, or NABTEB results to meet the five-credit requirement.
Where can candidates verify the correct fees before paying?
Candidates should check the college’s official application portal or a confirmed admission letter rather than relying on phone numbers or social media posts advertising admission forms, since these are common channels for admission fraud.