Rector laments brain drain in Zamfara Polytechnic

The Rector of the state-owned Zamfara Polytechnic, Talata Mafara, Dr. Sirajo Shinkafi, has lamented the rate of brain drain affecting the institution.

Shinkafi made this known in Talata Mafara on Thursday when he received the state government’s visitation panel at the institution in Talata Mafara on Thursday.

He explained that the brain drain has badly affected the institution, as it is currently suffering from an unprecedented shortage of qualified human capital.

According to him, the institution has suffered years of neglect from successive governments in the state, saying “we are lacking in infrastructure and human resources.

“Most of our staff have left because of poor remuneration, welfare, and dilapidated structures. As I speak to you now, we lack manpower in all the departments and units of this institution,” he said.

“In our security unit, we have only 11 permanent staff; we had to engage casual staff to secure the institution,” he said.

“This institution is the least-paying polytechnic in Nigeria, and our staff are working under very terrible conditions,” Shinkafi added.

He commended Gov. Dauda Lawal for initiating a rescue mission to the school by declaring an emergency on education in the state.

He described the panel as the first of its kind to visit the institution since the creation of the state in 1996.

He lauded the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (Tetfund) for executing multi-million-naira projects in the polytechnic.

“If not for the intervention of the Tetfund, the polytechnic would have collapsed.

Earlier, the panel chairman, Prof. Jafaru Abubakar-Sadiq, said the committee was set up to ascertain the condition of the institution with a view to upgrading its structures and capacity.

“This committee was established by Gov. Lawal and was aimed at transforming tertiary education in the state for the better.

“We are here on a fact-finding mission, and we are all committed to supporting the government's efforts to improve the quality of tertiary education in the state.

“The eight-man committee comprised a team of experts from various sectors; we have the capacity to deliver the assignment given to us,” he assured.

“We are going to spend three days here. Our door is always open; we are going to interact with members of staff and the general public by listening to their opinions and contributions on the way forward for the polytechnic,” Abubakar-Sadiq explained.