The poverty of documentary heritage management in Nigeria

Abstract

Summary: Nigeria's national archival institution has been an object of neglect since its reluctant establishment in the colonial era to the present time. It was initially headed by a non-archivist on a part time and ad hoc basis, which blighted its prospects. The uniqueness of the National Archives of Nigeria as the nation's unfailing memory and one of the embodiments of its cultural heritage is not appreciated. There is an urgent need to improve radically the infrastructures of the institution, taking advantage of new technologies offered by the information revolution. Lack of democracy and accountability has been the bane of independent Nigeria. There is obviously a link between this state of affairs and the perilous state of the national and other archival institutions in the country. A sound records-management practice is urgently needed to ensure the managerial accountability so vital to good governance.