When the management of Kano State Polytechnic resolved to restructure the Office of the Deputy Rector by creating two distinct positions; Deputy Rector (Academics) and Deputy Rector (Administration), the decision marked a significant milestone in the institution’s drive to strengthen governance and improve administrative efficiency.
The restructuring was designed to reduce the growing workload previously handled by a single Deputy Rector while ensuring more focused leadership in both academic and administrative affairs.
With the creation of the two offices, the management faced the crucial responsibility of identifying competent, experienced, and visionary individuals capable of providing effective leadership.
Sports sector reforms: National Sports Commission earns ABU’s praise
Given the Polytechnic’s large pool of highly qualified academics and administrators, selecting the most suitable candidates was no easy task.
The appointment process required a careful assessment of each shortlisted candidate’s academic qualifications, administrative experience, leadership capacity, professional accomplishments, and commitment to the institution’s vision.
Following a comprehensive evaluation, Engr. Dr. Comrade Ibrahim Usman Aikawa and Dr. Maryam Kabir emerged as the most qualified candidate for the positions of Acting Deputy Rector (Academics) and Acting Deputy Rector (Administration), respectively.
Their appointments reflected the confidence of the Polytechnic’s management in their ability to provide the leadership needed to drive the institution’s next phase of growth and development.
Engr. Dr. Ibrahim Usman Aikawa, who now serves as the pioneer Acting Deputy Rector (Academics), previously held the position of Director of Academic Planning, Research and Innovation, where he played a pivotal role in strengthening academic planning, quality assurance, research development, and institutional innovation.
Before his appointment as Acting Deputy Rector (Academics), Dr. Aikawa was elected by his colleagues to represent the academic staff on the recently reconstituted Governing Council of Kano State Polytechnic.
He also served as a member of the Polytechnic Academic Board (PAB), the institution’s highest academic decision-making body, following his victory in the election.
Born on 9 February 1972 in Aikawa Quarters, Dala Local Government Area of Kano State, Dr. Aikawa began his educational journey at Bayero University Staff School, Kano, before proceeding to Federal Government College, Kano, where he completed his secondary education in 1990.
His outstanding academic performance earned him admission into Bayero University, Kano, to study Mechanical Engineering.
He obtained his Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.) in Mechanical Engineering from Bayero University between 1993 and 1997 before undertaking the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Maiduguri, Borno State, from June 1997 to June 1998. Determined to advance his academic career, he returned to Bayero University for a Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) in Energy Engineering, which he completed in 2009.
Driven by an enduring passion for research and technological advancement, Dr. Aikawa proceeded to the University of Wolverhampton, United Kingdom, where he earned a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Mechanical Engineering in March 2016.
Before joining Kano State Polytechnic, Dr. Aikawa worked with New Nigerian Newspapers Limited, Kaduna, as a Systems Analyst and Computer Operator between July 2000 and February 2001.
He later joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering Technology at Kano State Polytechnic as an Assistant Lecturer and steadily rose through the academic ranks to become a Chief Lecturer.
Throughout his career, Dr. Aikawa has distinguished himself as an accomplished engineer, researcher, administrator, and academic leader.
He is a registered engineer and an active member of several professional bodies, including the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), the Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers (NIMechE), the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).
An accomplished scholar, Dr. Aikawa has published numerous articles in reputable local and international journals and has presented research papers at several academic conferences.
He is also the author of forthcoming books on refrigeration and air-conditioning engineering as well as technical report writing for engineering and technology students.
Over the years, he has attended numerous professional development programmes in engineering, higher education management, entrepreneurship, information technology, trade union administration, computer-aided design (AutoCAD), research methodology, assessment techniques, and public administration, further enriching his academic and administrative expertise.
Within Kano State Polytechnic, Dr. Aikawa has held several strategic positions, including Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering Technology, Pioneer Sectional Head of Mechatronics Engineering, Pioneer Head of Welding and Fabrication Technology, Examination Officer, Sectional Head of Thermodynamics and Fluids, Guidance and Counselling Officer at the Innovation and Vocational Entrepreneurship Institute.
Beyond the Polytechnic, he has served as Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Kano State Polytechnic Chapter, Zonal Treasurer of ASUP (North-West Zone), Chairman of the Kano State Government Transition Sub-Committee on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), and member of numerous institutional and state committees on academic development, infrastructure, accreditation, staff welfare, and policy implementation.
Dr. Aikawa has also participated in accreditation exercises conducted by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), served as an assessor for academic promotions and scholarly publications, consulted on national skills development programmes, and supervised numerous engineering research projects.
Widely respected for his dedication, integrity, and administrative competence, Dr. Aikawa’s appointment as the pioneer Acting Deputy Rector (Academics) is widely regarded as a recognition of decades of distinguished service to engineering education, academic excellence, institutional development, and public service.
Married with children, Dr. Aikawa enjoys reading, sports, travelling, and community service.
As for Dr. Maryam Kabir, the Acting Deputy Rector (Administration), only limited information was available at the time of writing. It is, however, known that she previously served as Director of the School of Management Studies (SMS), Kano State Polytechnic, before her appointment to the new position.
A comprehensive profile of her academic background, professional achievements, and administrative experience will be published once her curriculum vitae becomes available.
