Library and information services (LISs): A panacea for conflict resolution in Nigeria

Abstract

Lack of adequate and proper information is fundamentally responsible for several threats to lives ranging from kidnapping, communal and tribal clashes, herdsmen and farmers clashes and insurgencies in general, all over Nigeria today. The thrust of this paper is at investigating the roles of Library and Information Services (LISs) in conflict resolution for peaceful co-existence in Nigeria. The paper is in the opinion that the aforementioned threats to lives can be curbed through Library & information services. Premised on these, the paper reflects on the vigorous roles LISs can play in resolving conflicts and in encouraging peace and security in different parts of the country. The paper also tries to identify some of the obstacles hindering libraries and information services in maximizing their full potentials in conflict resolution and the promotion of peaceful coexistence amongst communities in Nigeria. The paper considers the role of library and information services in conflict resolution as very crucial and concludes that any peaceful developmental efforts of the nation made in the absence of adequate information service delivery will be a chimera Keywords: Library, Information Services, Conflict, Conflict resolution, Peaceful co-existence.