By Auwal Ahmed Ibrahim, Goronyo
The newly appointed Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Damaturu, Dr. Ibrahim Bello Bashir, has unveiled a robust reform agenda to revive the institution’s academic standards, increase enrollment, and integrate skills acquisition into the curriculum.
Speaking with The Nation, he highlighted the urgent need to reposition the polytechnic in response to declining student enrollment and the broader educational challenges in Yobe State.
“In 2025, our student intake dropped to just over 1,300,” he said. “This is concerning, especially for an institution of our capacity.”
With Damaturu and its environs hosting several tertiary institutions, the Rector noted that the Federal Polytechnic has a competitive edge that must be innovatively harnessed.
One of his key initiatives is integrating skills training into the academic curriculum, particularly targeting out-of-school children.
“Yobe State reportedly has the highest number of out-of-school children in Nigeria. We’re in talks with the state government to enrol 200 Almajiri children into skill acquisition programmes that will be certified and relevant to the job market,” he said.
Bashir, previously with the National Board for Technical Education, announced 10 new programmes, including Water Resources Engineering, Health Information Management, Environmental Health and Disease Control, and Dispensing Optimisation.
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He hopes they will attract more students and increase enrollment figures to around 10,000 in the coming years.
The Rector said that although funding through TETFund remains limited, he has taken steps to secure international partnerships with academics and to NGOs in the UK and Australia to support the institution.
The Nation