Benue College of Nursing Attains NBTE Accreditation for ND, HND Programmes

From Dooshima Terkura, Makurdi

The Benue State College of Nursing Sciences, Makurdi, has obtained full accreditation from the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), granting it full collegiate status to offer National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes.
The State Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Ogwuche, made this known while speaking with journalists in Makurdi over the weekend.
Dr. Ogwuche said the NBTE accreditation would enable the institution to operate as a full-fledged college, expand its training capacity and increase student admissions, a development he noted would help address the shortage of nurses in the state.
He recalled that the College of Nursing Sciences was earlier accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) in September 2022, after which its pioneer students were indexed and commenced their studies.
According to him, the institution currently has a student population of over 115 and remains up to date with its academic calendar.
“The NBTE team carried out a resource inspection and accreditation exercise at the college towards the end of last year. Reports available to me so far are satisfactory and encouraging,” he said.
He explained that prior to the visit, the college undertook major infrastructural upgrades, improved its library facilities, updated its curriculum and strengthened its healthcare systems to meet accreditation standards.
“As a result, the NBTE team was satisfied with what they saw on ground and granted approval. They have since forwarded their recommendations to the Minister of Health for final endorsement, which is the only step left,” Ogwuche stated.
The commissioner added that the ministry had already put necessary arrangements in place to begin the sale of admission forms into the various programmes offered by the college. He expressed optimism that the minister’s final approval would be received between now and the first week of February.
He further disclosed that arrangements had been concluded to relocate the Department of Nursing of Benue State University, currently housed within the College of Nursing and Midwifery, back to the university’s main campus.