Fifty years of archives administration in Nigeria: lessons for the future

Abstract

Purpose -In commemoration of the 50 years of archives administration in Nigeria, the purpose of this paper is to look at the establishment of the National Archives of Nigeria, its expansion and development over the years and its role in coordinating records management in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach -The paper is based on published literature and documentary evidence from records. Findings -The paper discusses the gains of the past, particularly the high hopes of the 1970s and the expansion and consolidation of the 1980s which rolled into the early 1990s. Notes the decadence of the 1990s and highlights the problems that bedevilled the institutions and archives and records management in the country among which are poor funding, lack of appreciation of the importance of archives, obsolete equipment and high staff turn over. Originality/value -The paper identifies the challenges and sets the agenda for the future.

The role of records management in ensuring good governance in Africa

“…However, funding for records management activities in many African countries has always been a problem. For example, Abioye (2007) concludes that a major problem in the national archives of Nigeria, and most African archives, is infrastructure decay. Otuoma (2010) notes that in Kenya, archives and records management services are ineffective and inefficient due to lack of funds to support archives and records management work.…”

“…Consequences of poorly managed records include missing files, poor records storage and lack of qualified staff to manage records. Records management is accorded a low status and is thus not a priority (Abioye 2007). In Botswana, public service records management suffers the same fate in that other functions such as human resources management and financial management are recognised more, as shown by staffing levels whereby the ceiling for records management positions is much lower than for other functions.…”

“…The current legislation needs to be amended to cater for the management of records in all formats. Similarly, the archival legislation for Nigeria was first enacted in 1957 and reviewed in 1992 to make provision for the preservation and management of all categories of records; public, private, individual and business (Abioye 2007).…”

“…Records and archival agencies should be accorded appropriate status in the public service and should be allocated adequate financial and human resources to enable them to carry out their responsibilities." Abioye (2007) adds that the way archival matters are handled in Nigeria, particularly in government circles, portrays little appreciation of their importance, posing a grave danger for the profession. In Botswana, BNARS falls under the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Culture and Sport Development where sports and youth matters are a priority and receive more attention than archival matters.…”

Effective records and information management as a catalyst for fighting corruption

“…Many developing countries tend to follow systems adopted by their former colonies. ''Like the majority of developing nations, many countries in Africa have a legacy of colonialism that still impacts their countries' conditions to this day'' (Abioye 2007). It is not uncommon to find in one country the system of RIM, especially in government, skewed towards the colonial system, while other RIM systems, especially in the private sector, tend towards a different arrangement.…”