UNTH Post Basic Nursing Anaesthesia admission requirements, from the official 2026/2027 notice of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu, are: you must be a registered nurse with a current practising licence, have at least two years of post-qualification experience (preferably in intensive care or theatre), and hold O’level credits in English, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Forms are sold online at www.unthportal.org, followed by a written and oral entrance exam and interview. The course lasts 18 months and has no JAMB requirement or cut-off mark.
2027/2028 update: UNTH Post Basic Nursing Anaesthesia admission requirements and entrance exam process usually stay the same from one year to the next, so the rules on this page are what 2027/2028 candidates should plan with. They come from the latest official notice (2026/2027). If the 2027/2028 notice changes anything, we will update this page.
The 2026/2027 window ran from 16 March to 14 September 2026, with the exam and interview from 15 to 18 September 2026, so it has closed. That set starts in April 2027. If you missed it, you are applying for the next set. This guide covers the exact requirements, the dates to plan around, what the entrance exam and interview test, the programme itself, and where the official notice differs from older information still floating around online.
UNTH Post Basic Nursing Anaesthesia admission requirements at a glance
| Item | 2026/2027 position | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Programme | Post Basic Nurse Anaesthetist Programme, College of Nursing Sciences, UNTH | Official notice, 7 May 2026 |
| Registration | Registered nurse with current practising licence | Official notice |
| Experience | At least 2 years after qualification, preferably ICU and/or theatre | Official notice |
| O’level | WASC or GCE O’level credits in English, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology | Official notice |
| Form | Online at www.unthportal.org | Official notice |
| Form fee | Not stated in the notice | Shown on the portal at payment |
| Selection | Written and oral entrance exam and interview | Official notice |
| Duration and start | 18 months, starting April 2027 | Official notice |
| JAMB / cut-off | Not used / none | Post-basic programme |
| NMCN status | Post Basic Anaesthetic: Provisional (June 2021) | NMCN list, December 2025 |
Admission requirements in detail: 2026 notice versus the older UNTH page
UNTH’s programme page, written in 2020, still carries older rules. Several blogs copy from it. When the two disagree, follow the 2026/2027 notice.
| Point | 2026/2027 notice (current) | Programme page (2020) |
|---|---|---|
| Experience | At least 2 years post-qualification, ICU or theatre preferred | At least 3 years post-registration; a post-basic qualification is an advantage |
| O’level | Credits in English, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology | Same five credits, at no more than two sittings |
| Form fee | Not stated | ₦5,000, paid with a UNTH scratch card |
| Form window | 16 March to 14 September 2026 | March to August each year |
| Exam | Written and oral, 15 to 18 September 2026 | Common entrance exam in September, then interview |
| Sponsorship | Not mentioned | Self-sponsored or sponsored by a private, government or voluntary agency |
The ₦5,000 fee is six years old, so do not budget with it. The portal shows the current amount when you start the application.
Key dates for UNTH nursing anaesthesia
| Stage | 2026/2027 set (closed) | 2027/2028 set (planning dates) |
|---|---|---|
| Form sales | 16 March to 14 September 2026 | 16 March to 14 September 2027 |
| Entrance exam and interview | 15 to 18 September 2026 | 15 to 18 September 2027 |
| Programme starts | April 2027 | April 2028 |
(The 2027/2028 dates are based on this year’s dates; confirm on the official notice when the call opens.) UNTH published the 2026/2027 notice on its website on 7 May 2026, almost two months after the stated opening date, so start checking the portal from early March 2027 rather than waiting for a news post.
The entrance exam and interview
The 2026 notice describes a written and oral entrance examination and interview over four days, and tells candidates to bring original certificates and to arrange their own accommodation. UNTH’s older programme page describes a six-member interview panel:
- The anaesthesiologist who heads the Department of Anaesthesia.
- The Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee, or a representative.
- The Deputy Director of Nursing, or a representative.
- The programme coordinator.
- One nurse anaesthesia educator and one nurse anaesthesia clinician from theatre.
UNTH has not published the exam syllabus or a pass mark. Because the course is anaesthesia, I would revise the science behind it: respiratory and cardiovascular physiology, basic pharmacology (drug actions, doses and calculations), airway anatomy, fluid and electrolyte balance, and the care of the unconscious and post-operative patient. For the interview, expect questions about your ICU or theatre experience and why you want to give anaesthesia.
Worked example (illustrative)
- Applicant: Emeka registered as a nurse in July 2024 and has worked in a theatre suite since then. His licence is current.
- Experience check: by the 14 September 2027 form deadline (planning date) he will have just over three years after qualification, above the 2-year minimum, and in theatre, which the notice prefers.
- O’level check: he has credits in English, Mathematics, Biology and Chemistry but a D7 in Physics. That fails the five-credit rule, so he resits Physics in a private WAEC or NECO sitting before applying.
- Outcome: with the new Physics credit and two sittings in total, he meets every published condition for the 2027/2028 set.
Documents to have ready
The notice asks for original certificates at the exam but does not list them one by one. This is the set I would carry, built from the published requirements:
| Document | Why you need it |
|---|---|
| Nursing certificate and NMCN registration | Proves you are a registered nurse |
| Current NMCN practising licence | The notice asks for a current licence |
| WAEC, NECO or GCE result(s) | Shows the five credits, including Physics |
| Letter of service from your employer | Shows two or more years of experience and where (ICU or theatre helps) |
| Printed form and payment receipt | Your entry to the exam hall |
| Sponsorship or study leave letter, if you have one | Shows you can complete 18 months full time |
Make two photocopies of everything. Panels often keep copies, and a missing page can delay your file.
How to apply for UNTH nursing anaesthesia, step by step
- Check your licence and experience: renew your NMCN practising licence and get a letter from your employer confirming your post-qualification experience, ideally showing ICU or theatre work.
- Fix any O’level gap: you need all five credits, including Physics. Results from a resit take time to come out, so do it early.
- Buy the form on the portal: go to www.unthportal.org when the window opens, pay the fee shown there, fill the form and print it with your receipt.
- Return the form: the 2026 notice told applicants to return completed forms to the Post Basic Nurse Anaesthetist Programme, UNTH, Ituku-Ozalla.
- Attend the exam and interview: bring original certificates, book accommodation for the exam days, and keep your phone line active for updates.
- Plan for 18 months away: arrange study leave or sponsorship. The course includes at least 20 weeks outside UNTH and night duty, so full-time availability matters.
The 2026 notice listed three programme phone numbers for enquiries: 07067759663, 08061173633 and 08072116472, plus UNTH’s general line, +234 703 132 2008.
Warning
Listings titled “School of Post-Basic Anaesthetic Nursing, UNTH” with a phone number to call for the form are not UNTH notices. The genuine form is sold on www.unthportal.org, and the only phone numbers UNTH published for this programme are the ones in its official notice.
About the UNTH Post Basic Nurse Anaesthetist Programme
UNTH says the programme began in 1971, straight after the civil war, developed by the late Prof. P. O. Nwachukwu and T. I. Eziashi, and later extended to other government and mission hospitals. From 1978 the West African Health Community secretariat sponsored nurses from Liberia, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Cameroon and The Gambia to train here. It now sits under UNTH’s College of Nursing Sciences.
How the 18 months are structured
| Feature | Detail (UNTH programme page) |
|---|---|
| Course level | 400-level courses with the prefix NAP, over three semesters |
| Classroom block | First four weeks |
| Clinical practice | The rest of the programme, supervised in theatre |
| Outside postings | At least 20 weeks outside UNTH under a physician or nurse anaesthetist |
| Night duty | At least 8 weeks spread across the programme |
| Award | Certification, registration and licensing as a nurse anaesthetist by the NMCN |
The older page also says intake is in April and graduation in November of the following year, and mentions a two-week update course each May for practising nurse anaesthetists.
Accreditation
The NMCN’s December 2025 list shows UNTH’s Post Basic Anaesthetic Nursing as Provisional, dated June 2021. The earlier August 2022 list gave it a quota of 30. The legend says provisional approval lasts two years, so the printed date is well past that. Before you resign from a job or commit sponsorship money, ask the programme for its current NMCN approval letter.
Careers after the course
- Nurse anaesthetist in theatres of teaching, federal, state, mission and private hospitals.
- Sedation and recovery room work, and support in intensive care units.
- Teaching in nurse anaesthesia programmes after further qualifications.
Other post-basic programmes at UNTH
- UNTH Post Basic Perioperative Nursing admission requirements
- UNTH Post Basic Cardiothoracic Nursing admission requirements
- UNTH Post Basic Ophthalmic Nursing admission requirements
- UNTH School of Midwifery admission requirements
If you are not yet a nurse and want to start the journey at UNTH, see our UNTH BNSc cut-off mark guide.
Mistakes nursing anaesthesia applicants make
- Using the old three-year rule to rule yourself out: the 2026 notice asks for two years.
- Budgeting with the ₦5,000 fee: that figure is from 2020.
- Missing Physics at credit: it is one of the five required subjects.
- Waiting for the news post: in 2026 the form opened in March but the notice appeared on the website in May.
- Arriving without originals: the notice asks for original certificates at the exam.
UNTH nursing anaesthesia: frequently asked questions
How many years of experience do I need for UNTH nurse anaesthetist programme? At least two years after qualification, according to the 2026/2027 notice, preferably in intensive care or theatre.
When does UNTH nursing anaesthesia form close? The 2026/2027 form closed on 14 September 2026. For the 2027/2028 set, plan on 14 September 2027, based on this year’s date; confirm on the official notice.
How much is UNTH post basic anaesthesia form? The 2026/2027 notice did not state the fee; the portal shows it at payment. The ₦5,000 on UNTH’s older programme page dates from 2020.
How long is the nurse anaesthetist course at UNTH? 18 months over three semesters. The 2026/2027 set starts in April 2027.
Sources and updates
The 2026/2027 requirements, portal, form window, exam dates, start date, duration and contact numbers come from UNTH’s official notice Admission for 2026/2027 Session Nursing Anaesthesia Programme, College of Nursing Sciences (7 May 2026). The history, course structure, interview panel, older ₦5,000 fee and three-year experience rule come from UNTH’s Post Basic Nurse Anaesthetist Programme page (last updated June 2020). The NMCN status is from the council’s list of approved schools (December 2025), and the quota of 30 from its August 2022 list. The 2027/2028 planning dates repeat the 2026 dates and are not yet official. The revision topics and worked example are my advice and illustration. Checked on 29 October 2026; this page will be updated when UNTH publishes its 2027/2028 notice.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
