Top 20 School of Nursing in Nigeria 2026/2027

School of Nursing in Nigeria

One of the best and competitive courses in every higher institution in Nigeria is Nursing! As a profession, Nursing is a fine, noble and lucrative job with myriads of amazing prospects for nurses in clinical practice, education, research, entrepreneurship, and administration.

You will think I am exaggerating Nursing about being a very lucrative profession. Permit me to open your eyes to some facts about Nursing. Although, you being on this page means you have this profession in your heart, and you are looking for the best School to study the course but that doesn’t mean you actually know everything about this profession.

Note: Try to go through everything written on this page as it will be of help to you on your journey to becoming a Registered Nurse! 

Nursing, as an integral part of the health care system, involves the promotion of health, the prevention of illness, and the care of physically ill, mentally ill, and disabled persons of all ages in all health care and other community settings. Their services are in very high demand. It does, however, come with a good salary. There are a lot of them, and they’re really resourceful. In fact, before you see a doctor in a hospital, you must have seen several Nurses. Doctors can’t do it all by themselves!

 

Employment opportunities for Nurses in Nigeria

In Nigeria, a nurse hardly goes a month without a job. However, the specialization, years of experience, skills and clinical competence, and, in some cases, level of education, all influence career prospects and income.

• Critical care nurse specialist jobs are available in the intensive care unit, which may be for an adult or a paediatric intensive care unit (ICU).

• Paediatric nurses with years of experience and expertise in the paediatric specialization can also work in the paediatric ICU.

• General nurses can work in a variety of settings, including medical and surgical departments.

• Perioperative nurses assist surgeons in the operating rooms.

• Anaesthetic nurses work in both critical care units and operating rooms, administering anaesthesia and nursing patients back to health in the post-anaesthetic care unit.

• Midwives and public health nurses can work in labour units, maternity homes, or in the community, as well as in primary health care settings.

• Renal nurses care for patients with renal illnesses who are having dialysis, kidney transplant, or other invasive operations involving the kidneys, such as kidney biopsy, in dialysis units and kidney transplant centres.

• In Nigeria, occupational health nurses operate in factory clinics and industrial locations to provide first-aid treatment for job-related dangers and injuries.

Apart from the clinical practice options accessible to nurses in Nigeria, there are a variety of career categories that nurses fill outside of their traditional clinical responsibilities.

Nurses in Nigeria use health insurance as one of their many options for advancing their careers.

They operate in a variety of units within private health insurance firms, most typically in the call centre, where they serve as a liaison between the company, patients, and the hospitals that provide care for those patients.

Clinical research is another feasible career route available to Nigerian nurses, albeit there are limited chances in this field.

Nurses can work as clinical research nurses, coordinating clinical research operations with the help of a principal investigator.

Such opportunities can be found in Nigerian research institutes, such as the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, as well as some overseas research organizations having Nigerian locations.

Finally, nurses might serve as educators and university instructors at Nigerian nursing schools and colleges.

 

Can a Man do nursing?

There are many questions that quickly come to mind when talking about the gender that can do nursing as a profession;

Is Nursing only for females? Can a male/man do nursing? What do you call a male nurse? Is it good for a man to be nurse? Can a man study nursing? Does a nurse have to be a girl? Can nurse be male and female?

Be rest assured that all these questions will be answered today here on teezab.com.ng.

The simple answer to all those questions is Yes, a male can be a nurse! Of course, a man can be a nurse!!

In fact, According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), as of 2019 more than 12% of Registered Nurses in the U.S. are men. And while nursing has been a historically female-dominated industry, the tide is certainly changing for gender equality in all professions.

Male nurses are often dubbed “Nurses” and while some male nurses are pretty excited about the fact that there is a specific term for their gender, some do not care about it!

 

Specialization in Nursing

There are several areas where nurses specialise in Nigeria, namely;

• Accident and Emergency Nursing
• Anaesthetic Nursing
• Orthopaedic Nursing
• Mental Health Nursing
• Obstetrics and Gynaecological Nursing (midwifery)
• Ophthalmic Nursing
• Cardiothoracic Nursing
• Renal Nursing
• Peri-operative Nursing
• Critical Care Nursing
• Occupational Health Nursing
• Clinical Research Nursing
• Paediatric Nursing
• Geriatric Nursing
• Public Health Nursing.

Nurses who have already undergone General Nursing training and have been certified to practice in Nigeria can enrol for these training in schools of post-basic nursing.

Most of these programs run for a period of one year, while others run over 18 months to 2 years.

With these lots of specialization in Nursing, one should realize by now that indeed Nursing is one of the coolest and essential profession and not only in Nigeria but in the whole globe!

Now that I have opened your eyes to some things, let’s move to the requirement that must be met before one can gain entrance into any school of nursing or University in Nigeria.

 

Years Of Programs in Accredited School of Nursing in Nigeria

In every accredited school of nursing in Nigeria, there are particular numbers of years designed for every student to use, study and complete their nursing program.

Besides, there are several nursing schools in Nigeria with different training courses, so understanding the available ones together with their study year will help you a lot on your journey to becoming a registered nurse in Nigeria.

Therefore, the following are the accredited years of study depending on the certificate to be awarded in Nigeria:

• Three (3) years Basic General Nursing Program;
• Three (3) years Basic Midwifery Training Program; and
• Five (5) years Generic (BSc) Nursing Programme.

The first two are obtainable in the College of Health Sciences and College of Health Technologies and the last one is a 5-year program for the award of degree certificate in Bachelor of Nursing Science.

 

Schools Of Nursing in Nigeria Admission Requirements

At this point, you will be exposed to the Nigerian Schools of Nursing entrance requirements as well as all other important information you will need to secure admission into any of Nigeria’s nursing schools.

Admission Requirements for General Nursing Programme in Nigeria

Schools Of Nursing in Nigeria Admission Requirements

This is a three-year course and the candidate must be at least 17 years old. Candidates must have five credits in English, Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology or Health Science, and Physics in their SSCE or equivalent in not more than two sittings to be admitted to study General Nursing Program in any of Nigeria’s nursing schools.

 

Admission Requirements for Post Basic Midwifery Nursing Programme in Nigeria

This is a one-and-a-half-year program, and in order to be admitted as a Post Basic Midwife, the candidate must be a registered nurse in Nigeria and complete all other higher-education prerequisites.

 

Admission Requirements for Post Basic Psychiatric Nursing Courses in Nigeria

This is also a one-and-a-half-year course, and the prospective candidate must be a Nigerian Registered Nurse who has met all of the institution’s prerequisites.

 

Admission Requirements for Bachelor of Nursing Science (BScs.) Program In Nigeria

The admission requirements for intending candidates to secure admission into any university in Nigeria where a Bachelor of Nursing Science is obtainable is that the candidate must have five (5) Credits passes in English, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology, and Physics in not more than two sittings in WASSC/SSCE or any of its equivalents.

Bachelor of Nursing Science is one of the academic qualifications available, and registration options include Registered Nurse, Registered Midwife, and Registered Public or Community Health Nurse.

 

Admission Requirements for Higher Degree in Nursing Science

A degree certificate in Nursing Science from any recognized College of Nursing in Nigeria, academic transcripts, and other institutional prerequisites are the admission requirements for the several Universities in Nigeria that provide Higher Degrees in Nursing.

Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Science, as well as other related courses, are among the academic credentials available.

 

Top 20 School of Nursing in Nigeria 2026

I kind of feel we are a bit overtime with the introduction but it’s worth it! Now, let’s face what really brought you to this page!

Here, we will be providing you with the top 20 School of nursing in Nigeria as at 2026. 

You might be interested in: list of Universities in Nigeria and their cut Off Mark, list of courses offered and school fees!

Also click on any school of nursing of your choice to know more about the school. There you can find out the school fees, the admission requirements, cut off mark, post UTME registration and so on!

After a lot of research, we have come to conclusion that these twenty (20) schools of nursing are the current top best in Nigeria.

 

Check out The Top 20 School of Nursing in Nigeria 2026

Top 20 School of Nursing in Nigeria 2026

S/N	School of Nursing	Location	Notable Features
1	University of Ibadan School of Nursing	Oyo State	One of the oldest and most respected nursing schools in Nigeria
2	University of Lagos School of Nursing	Lagos State	Excellent academic and clinical training
3	Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital School of Nursing	Kaduna State	Popular in Northern Nigeria with quality facilities
4	University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital School of Nursing	Enugu State	Produces highly skilled professional nurses
5	Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex School of Nursing	Osun State	Strong practical healthcare training
6	University of Benin Teaching Hospital School of Nursing	Edo State	Well-equipped clinical learning environment
7	University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital School of Nursing	Rivers State	Excellent medical exposure and training
8	University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital School of Nursing	Kwara State	Affordable and academically strong
9	Lagos University Teaching Hospital School of Nursing	Lagos State	Modern healthcare training facilities
10	School of Nursing UCH	Oyo State	Excellent practical and theoretical training
11	School of Nursing Abeokuta	Ogun State	Reputable nursing institution in Southwest Nigeria
12	School of Nursing Maiduguri	Borno State	Quality nursing education in Northern Nigeria
13	School of Nursing Osogbo	Osun State	Good academic and practical nursing programs
14	School of Nursing Akure	Ondo State	Experienced lecturers and good facilities
15	FCT School of Nursing	FCT Abuja	Popular federal nursing institution
16	Kwara State College of Nursing and Midwifery	Kwara State	Accredited nursing and midwifery programs
17	Oyo State College of Nursing and Midwifery	Oyo State	Produces competent healthcare professionals
18	ECWA School of Nursing	Kogi State	Highly respected mission nursing school
19	School of Nursing Makurdi	Benue State	Affordable and quality nursing education
20	School of Nursing Anua	Akwa Ibom State	Strong academic and clinical nursing training

 

Frequently Asked Questions: Top 20 School of Nursing in Nigeria 2026/2027

Which is the best school of nursing in Nigeria?

Some of the best and most respected nursing schools in Nigeria include:

• University of Ibadan School of Nursing

• University of Lagos School of Nursing

• University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital School of Nursing

• Lagos University Teaching Hospital School of Nursing

• University of Benin Teaching Hospital School of Nursing

These schools are known for quality education, clinical exposure, and strong academic performance.

Are schools of nursing in Nigeria accredited?

Yes. Approved nursing schools in Nigeria are accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN). Students should always confirm accreditation status before applying.

What are the requirements for admission into a school of nursing?

Most schools require:

• Five credits in WAEC, NECO, or NABTEB including:

  • English Language

  • Mathematics

  • Biology

  • Chemistry

  • Physics

• Minimum age of 16 years

• Passing the entrance examination and interview

Do I need JAMB to enter a school of nursing?

Some nursing schools require JAMB, especially university nursing programs, while many basic schools of nursing admit students without JAMB.

How many years does it take to study nursing in Nigeria?

• Basic Nursing Programme: Usually 3 years

• Bachelor of Nursing Science (BSc): Usually 5 years in universities

Which state has the best school of nursing in Nigeria?

States with several highly rated nursing schools include:

• Lagos State

• Oyo State

• Enugu State

• Edo State

• Kaduna State

What is the school fees for nursing schools in Nigeria?

School fees vary depending on the institution. Federal schools are usually more affordable than private institutions. Fees may range from ₦100,000 to over ₦800,000 per session.

Can males apply for nursing schools in Nigeria?

Yes. Nursing schools in Nigeria accept both male and female students.

Which nursing school is the cheapest in Nigeria?

Some state-owned and federal nursing schools are relatively affordable, including:

• School of Nursing Maiduguri

• University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital School of Nursing

• FCT School of Nursing

Is nursing a good course in Nigeria?

Yes. Nursing is one of the most respected and in-demand healthcare professions in Nigeria and abroad. Qualified nurses have opportunities to work in:

• hospitals,

• clinics,

• public health organizations,

• international healthcare agencies,

• and overseas healthcare systems.

How can I know if a nursing school is approved?

You can check the official approved list on the website of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.

Are private nursing schools available in Nigeria?

Yes. Nigeria has several private nursing institutions and university nursing departments approved by the NMCN. 

 

Conclusion

Choosing the right school of nursing is an important step toward building a successful healthcare career in Nigeria. With many accredited nursing institutions across the country, students should focus on schools with proper approval, quality teaching facilities, experienced lecturers, and strong clinical training opportunities. Before applying, candidates are advised to verify accreditation through the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria and carefully review each school’s admission requirements. Nursing remains one of the most rewarding and highly respected professions in Nigeria and around the world.

 

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