The Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo (FUHSO) is Nigeria’s first federal university dedicated entirely to health sciences education. Located in Otukpo, Benue State, the institution was established to help close the country’s shortage of trained healthcare professionals, a gap the Federal Government identified as significant enough to justify a specialised university rather than relying solely on the medical faculties within general universities. This article sets out the medical and health-related courses currently offered at FUHSO, admission requirements for prospective students, and what is known about the university’s school fees for the 2026/2027 academic session.
About Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo
FUHSO was established following legislation first sponsored in the Senate in 2017, passed in 2018, and given final legal backing through Federal Executive Council approval in November 2021. The university held its groundbreaking ceremony for its permanent site at Akwete-Akpa in Otukpo Local Government Area in July 2022, alongside a N3 billion High Impact Intervention Fund from TETFund for infrastructural development. As Nigeria’s pioneer federal health sciences university, FUHSO occupies a distinct position among the country’s newer specialist institutions, most of which followed its establishment as the government expanded this category of federal university.
The university runs its academic programmes with a focus on producing graduates equipped for clinical practice, laboratory diagnostics, and the broader scientific foundation that underpins medical training. Its facilities are built around this focus, including dedicated medical laboratories, a teaching hospital for clinical exposure, and digital library resources tailored to health sciences research.
Courses Currently Offered at FUHSO
FUHSO commenced academic activities with nine National Universities Commission (NUC) approved programmes. The table below sets out this pioneer set of courses.
| Course | Degree Awarded | Field |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine and Surgery | MBBS | Clinical medicine |
| Biochemistry | B.Sc. | Basic medical science |
| Microbiology | B.Sc. | Basic medical/laboratory science |
| Biostatistics | B.Sc. | Health data and statistical science |
| Biological Sciences | B.Sc. | General biological science |
| Chemistry | B.Sc. | Basic science supporting medical training |
| Mathematics | B.Sc. | Basic science supporting medical training |
| Physics | B.Sc. | Basic science supporting medical training |
| Computer Science | B.Sc. | Health informatics and computing support |
Medicine and Surgery remains the university’s flagship and most sought-after programme, culminating in the MBBS qualification required for medical licensure under the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria. The remaining eight programmes function partly as basic science courses that support the university’s medical training mandate and partly as standalone degrees for students interested in laboratory science, health data analysis, or health-related computing rather than direct clinical practice.
Beyond this pioneer set, FUHSO has continued to expand its academic offering as it grows. In September 2025, the National Universities Commission granted full approval for four additional academic programmes at the university, following a resource verification visit conducted by an NUC panel in August of that year. This expansion reflects the university’s ongoing effort to build out a fuller allied health sciences curriculum beyond its original science-heavy foundation, and prospective applicants for the 2026/2027 session should check the university’s official admissions channels for the complete, current list of approved programmes, since new departments continue to come on stream as the institution matures.
Admission Requirements
Admission into FUHSO follows the standard federal university process used across Nigeria, combining the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) with the university’s own Post-UTME screening exercise.
Candidates must select FUHSO as their first choice institution during JAMB registration; candidates who did not do so initially are required to change their institution of choice to FUHSO on the JAMB portal before their application can be considered. A minimum JAMB score of around 180 is generally expected, alongside a strong performance in the university’s own Post-UTME screening exercise. Every candidate needs a minimum of five O’Level credit passes, obtained in not more than two sittings from WAEC, NECO, or an equivalent examination body, with the specific subject combination depending on the course applied for. Medicine and Surgery applicants typically need English Language, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, while the various B.Sc. programmes require subject combinations relevant to their specific scientific discipline.
Direct Entry candidates apply with qualifications such as two relevant A-Level passes, an Ordinary National Diploma (OND), Higher National Diploma (HND), National Certificate of Education (NCE), or an equivalent advanced qualification, alongside meeting the standard O’Level credit requirement. Direct Entry applicants are admitted into the appropriate level of their chosen programme based on how their prior qualification aligns with the course content already covered.
School Fees at FUHSO
As a federal university, FUHSO benefits from government subsidy, which keeps its overall fee structure considerably lower than what students would pay at a private medical university, though costs still run higher than non-technical faculties elsewhere because of the laboratory work, specimens, and clinical training materials involved in health sciences education.
The one figure that has remained consistent across recent sessions is the acceptance fee, which FUHSO charges at ₦20,000 for every newly admitted student, regardless of course. This fee is paid immediately after a candidate accepts their admission offer on JAMB CAPS and confirms it must be settled before any other registration step can proceed.
Beyond the acceptance fee, tuition and total school fees vary by course, and the university has not consistently published a single, comprehensive, course-by-course fee schedule for the 2026/2027 session across its own official channels at the time of writing. Based on the general range reported across recent sessions, students on the university’s basic science and allied programmes have paid tuition somewhere within a broad range extending from roughly ₦120,000 up to around ₦230,000 per session, while Medicine and Surgery, given its extended six-year duration and heavier clinical training component, is expected to sit toward the higher end of the university’s overall fee structure. Because fee schedules at federal health science universities are reviewed periodically and can shift meaningfully from one session to the next, a prospective or newly admitted student should treat any figure gathered from outside the university’s official portal as a planning reference only, and confirm the exact, current amount directly through FUHSO’s admissions office or student portal once admission has been offered.
What the Total Fee Typically Covers
Beyond core tuition, a student’s total payment at FUHSO generally includes several standard components common to Nigerian federal universities:
- Acceptance fee — ₦20,000, paid once by every fresh student to confirm their admission offer.
- Registration fee — covers formal enrolment into the university’s academic system for the session.
- ICT/library fee — covers access to the student portal, digital learning resources, and library facilities.
- Laboratory and practical fee — applies across all FUHSO’s science and medical courses, covering consumables, specimens, and equipment use.
- Medical/health services fee — covers basic health services provided to students on campus.
- Examination fee — charged per semester to cover the administration of examinations.
- Clinical/hospital attachment fee — applies mainly in the later years of Medicine and Surgery, once students begin supervised training at the university’s teaching hospital.
Fresh students carry a heavier total in their first year because of the one-off acceptance and registration charges, while returning students pay a comparatively lighter total made up mainly of tuition, laboratory fees, and examination charges, since the entry-level charges do not repeat once a student is already enrolled.
Payment Structure
FUHSO generally allows students to pay their school fees in two instalments rather than requiring the full amount upfront. Students typically pay a significant portion of their fees, reported at around 60 percent, shortly after settling the acceptance fee, with the remaining balance, around 40 percent, due before the commencement of the second semester. This staggered arrangement gives students and families some flexibility in spreading out the financial commitment across the academic session, though the exact split and deadlines should be confirmed with the bursary at the point of registration, since payment policies can be adjusted from one session to the next.
Payment itself is processed through the university’s official student portal at fuhso.edu.ng. A student logs in with their student details, navigates to the school fees payment section, generates a Remita Retrieval Reference (RRR), and completes payment either through a bank card or by taking the RRR to any commercial bank for payment by transfer. After payment, the student returns to the portal to print their receipt, which should be retained for registration and clearance purposes.
Accommodation and Additional Costs
FUHSO provides hostel accommodation for both fresh and returning students, subject to availability, though students who prefer are free to arrange off-campus housing instead. Students staying in the university’s hostels are generally expected to bring their own beddings, while the university handles campus security. Feeding is typically arranged through caterers operating on a pay-as-you-go basis rather than a compulsory meal plan bundled into tuition. These accommodation and feeding costs sit outside the official school fees and should be factored into a student’s overall budget separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medicine and Surgery available at FUHSO?
Yes. Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) is one of FUHSO’s flagship programmes and has been part of its academic offering since the university’s pioneer set of NUC-approved courses.
How much is the FUHSO acceptance fee?
The acceptance fee is ₦20,000 for every newly admitted student, regardless of course, and must be paid to confirm the admission offer before other registration steps proceed.
Can school fees at FUHSO be paid in instalments?
Yes. Students generally pay around 60 percent of their fees shortly after the acceptance fee, with the remaining 40 percent due before the second semester begins, though this arrangement should be confirmed with the bursary each session.
Does FUHSO offer Direct Entry admission?
Yes. Candidates with two relevant A-Level passes, an OND, HND, NCE, or an equivalent qualification, alongside the standard O’Level credit requirement, can apply through the Direct Entry route.
Where can a student confirm the exact tuition fee for a specific course at FUHSO?
The university’s official student portal at fuhso.edu.ng and the admissions or bursary office are the most reliable sources, since published fee figures can vary between sessions and the university has not consistently released a single, comprehensive fee schedule across all its public channels.