Professor Benson Shadrach Jatau was born on 25th November, 1965 to the family of Mr and Mrs. Nche Bla Jatau in Ntebi-Ngatukpu, Akwanga Local Government of Nasarawa State, Nigeria. He had his Primary School Education at LGED Anjida/Samaru where he obtained his primary School leaving certificate in 1977. He attended the Government Secondary School Mangun, Plateau State with WAEC in 1982. He attended Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna Nigeria 1982-1985 where he obtained National Diploma (ND) in Mining Engineering and from 1986-1988 with Higher National Diploma in Mining Engineering with mineral processing option (HND) in 1988 as the best graduating student.
He did his National Youth Service Certificate (NYSC) at Ondo State 1989. He was later employed by Kaduna Polytechnic as a Higher Instructor. He rose from a position of Higher Instructor 1991 to Chief Lecturer (2010).He was the Head of Mineral Resources Engineering Department (2006-2008), Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna, Nigeria among many leadership responsibilities. He held the position of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)/Technical Officer and a research team leader in the Step-B World Bank and Federal Ministry of Education Centre of Excellence on Minerals Research and Development Kaduna Polytechnic. He has a Postgraduate Diploma in Technical Education (PGDTE) from Federal University Technology Minna, and Postgraduate Diploma (PGD) in Geological sciences, Master of Sciences (M. Sc.) and Doctoral Degree (Ph. D.) in Geological Sciences from Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka with specialty in Applied Geophysics and Mining Geology.
He has served as General Manager and the Managing Director Nasarawa State Minerals Development Company Lafia respectively, a visiting lecturer to Nigerian Institute of Mining and Geosciences Jos, Plateau State and Nasarawa State University Keffi (2008/2009-2011/2012). He was employed as a tenure staff that is as a reader subject to external assessment with Nasarawa State University in September, 2012 he was placed on the position of senior lecturer. He was the Head of Department of Geology and Mining and the Dean Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences Nasarawa State University Keffi. He had his sabbatical leave with the Federal University Lafia. He has graduated over 5 Ph.D. 15 M.Sc. and over 30 undergraduate students.
He is involved in External Examiner-ship; External examiner to several universities for the purposes of examinations moderation, Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Professorial assessments. His main interest is in Human development, mineral exploration, mining, mining geology, hydrogeology and environmental geology, applied geophysics and minerals processing and mineral economics. He is actively involved in numerous research, and consultancy activities in applied geophysics, hydrogeology and mineral deposit assessment in various parts of Nigeria. He has demonstrated a lot of community services across the nation in various capacities such as member of Trustee/Board Membership of several non-governmental organizations, such as Girls Brigade Nigeria, Science Forum Nasarawa State, and Partners for water, Hope for girls and Women Foundation. He was Assistant Secretary ECWA Gospel Church U/Yelwa, Kaduna South, Kaduna State, Secretary of ECWA Church U/Mission, Kaduna State and the Delegate to Kaduna D.C.C.
As a scholar he has over Sixty-Four (64) Journals, Twenty-one (21) proceedings, 30 Conferences papers and several seminars and workshop papers.
Prof. B. S. Jatau is a registered Mining Engineer with Council of Mining Engineers and Geoscientists (COMEG), a Fellow of Nigerian Society of Mining Engineers (FNSME), a Fellow of Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (FNMGS), a Fellow of Nigerian Association of Hydrogeologists (FNAH) an affiliate of International Association of Hydrogeologist (IAH), and Society of Exploration Geophysics (SEG). He served as the Secretary-General of Nigerian Society of Mining Engineers, 2nd Vice President and now a second term President of Nigerian Society of Mining Engineers. He is a council Member of Nigerian Mining and Geosciences. He was the immediate past Editor-in-Chief of the Nigerian Association of Hydrogeologists (NAH) and now the Technical Secretary of the same society. He is presently a martial with world Marital Authority (WMA) and the North-Central zone coordinator of the World Martial Authority Nigeria.
Prof. B. S. Jatau is well travelled. He has travelled across the breath and length of this country in other words he has been to every States of Nigeria. He has travelled to Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, Parris-France, Germany, Qatar-Doha and Republic of Thailand.
Prof. B. S. Jatau was married to late Mrs Paulina Jatau with four Children.
His Hobbies are reading, travelling, playing table tennis, volley ball and mentorship.