Reviving our archival system
The need to bring back and improve upon the worthwhile culture of record preservation was recently re-echoed in Abuja by the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai. Speaking at a symposium organised by Federal Capital Territory [FCT] Archives and History Bureau (AHB) to mark Archival Day, he lamented over the crumbling state of archival […]
The need to bring back and improve upon the worthwhile culture of record preservation was recently re-echoed in Abuja by the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai. Speaking at a symposium organised by Federal Capital Territory [FCT] Archives and History Bureau (AHB) to mark Archival Day, he lamented over the crumbling state of archival system in Nigeria. He called on Nigerians to key into promotion of the archival system and its digitalisation. Represented by Kaduna State Deputy Governor Dr Hadiza Balarabe, el-Rufai appealed to the Bureau to continue to improve upon the FCT’s archival system in order to encourage others to follow suit.
Guest Speaker at the occasion Professor Folarin Shyllon of Faculty of Law, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State said open access to archives was necessary for the promotion of values and good governance in any society. He urged stakeholders, especially state governments to intensify efforts to improve the architecture of archives, thereby enhancing upgrade and access to archives. Shyllon, whose paper was titled “Can we have 21st Century Archives in Nigeria?” said if given the necessary support, FCT Archives was ready to take Nigeria to the 21st-century archive system.
On his part, FCT Permanent Secretary Sir Christian Chinyeaka Ohaa urged FCT residents and other stakeholders to use the rare opportunity to avail themselves with what archives and records-keeping system was set to offer. Ohaa who was represented by the Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) Umar Gambo Jibril said the FCT administration through the Bureau annually puts together an event to sensitise the public on the role of archives, the importance of archivists and record managers, as well as sharing experiences in the management of public and private records.
The Permanent Secretary also said the theme of this year’s celebration, “Designing the Archives in the 21st Century”, was encapsulated to cut across all sectors of public and private life in order to make the profession more inclusive, varied and helpful to everyone for better comprehension of archives. He said the FCTA remains fully committed to providing needed support to the Bureau, in order to succeed in designing the archives in the 21st century. Earlier in her address, AHB’s Director, Cerie Jogai, said in the Bureau, networking of the entire building has been completed in readiness for digitalisation.
While British colonialists did so much to systematically preserve our historical past, government, groups as well as citizens of the 21st century Nigeria not only failed to strengthen the culture of record-keeping left behind by the colonial masters but also neglected and further obliterated that legacy. About six decades after the colonialists left the shores of this country, most of what the country inherited as archives in terms of physical structures and materials stand in ruins. While it’s still possible, for instance, to lay hands on some Native Authority documents of the 1900s including memos at the National Archives in Kaduna, it is next to impossible to locate some 1980 committee reports of some state governments.
By definition and practice, archives which are vital concentrators of knowledge contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or organization’s lifetime, and are kept to show the function of that person or organization. Record-keeping helps us to, among other functions, understand why we are where we are as a country. As reference materials, archives provide the opportunity to learn from mistakes of the past. Records are essential extensions of human memory that can be used to help bind society together and serve as tools of social justice and reconciliation.
While we commend the effort of the FCTA at sensitizing Nigerians on the imperatives for archival documentation of historical and other categories of records, we equally urge government at all levels, organizations and individuals to revitalize record-keeping culture for posterity.