Records are documentary evidence of a transaction kept for reference, maintenance of history and continuity of activities of an individual, organization or country. They come in different forms.
Some records are kept longer than others while some are destroyed because they have outlived their usefulness. Others are deliberately or consciously selected for preservation because the information contained therein has “enduring value” which could be administrative, financial, legal or historical. Records kept for this purpose are referred to as archives. The term archives can also refer to a place (building/ room/ storage area) where archival materials are kept or an agency responsible for the selection, preservation, documentation and making available archival materials for use.
Since 1960, governments, organizations and the media have established various archives. However, The National Archives of Nigeria remains the oldest government archives in Nigeria. It started as Nigerian Records Office in 1951 before metamorphosing vide the Public Archives Ordinance No. 43 to the National Archives of Nigeria. It has three main branches in Kaduna, Enugu and Ibadan with local branches at Abeokuta, Benin, Calabar, Ilorin, Jos, Lagos, Maiduguri, Owerri, Port Harcourt and Sokoto.
The creation of The National Archives of Nigeria was a fall out of the efforts to decolonize colonial historiography and engage nationalist historiography in the then University College Ibadan. It is not surprising that the brain behind the first effort leading to the creation of the National Archives Ibadan was a historian, the first with PhD in African history from the University of London, Dr. Kenneth Onwuka Dike. He became the first indigenous professor of African history, and the first Nigerian principal, later vice chancellor, of the University College Ibadan (later University of Ibadan after independence).
In contemporary time, the need by countries and their peoples to establish archives and put in place a robust policy that is credible on records and archives management, especially in public administration has been expanded to include documenting policies and decisions of government, identifying the rights of people, providing continuity in case of disaster and serving as societal memory. In same vein, the users or archives have moved beyond historians to include scholars, students, researchers, biographers, genealogists, demographers, writers and film makers.
It has been realized that adequate records and archives management provide data for planning and policy options. An effective record management ensures that the right information is available to the right person at the right time and at the least possible cost, by the right person or agency. Thus, the whole essence of record management in public administration is to serve as credible repository of accumulated experiences, values, innovation and initiatives of people, entities or polity in which it operates in their quest to achieve growth and development as reported or recorded at a given time.
The Lagos State government in recognition of the importance of record keeping, established the Lagos State Records and Archives Bureau (LASRAB) pursuant to Law No 22 of May 2007 for the permanent custody, regulation and control of records and archives of the government of Lagos State, the local governments and other archives or historical records of entities operating within the state or outside as may be acquired by the state. LASRAB serves as a – one- stop – shop for information on Lagos State.
The bureau which is headed by a Director General ensures that public offices follow standard record keeping practices; establishes standards and advise on best practices on records and archives management in the state; establishes and implements procedures for the control and management of records of enduring value; establishes and implements procedures for the transfer of public records of enduring value for preservation and management in the state archives or such archival repository as may be established under the law.
The bureau has been working relentlessly across the state, and indeed beyond, to acquire and preserve records with key historical values on the state. It has in its custody, security reports especially during the colonial time, policy files, administrative files, maps from colonial time, government publications, international and private bodies publications, pictures of old Lagos and important personalities old and present, audio and video tape, As – Built Drawings, newspapers dating back as the early 1960s among others. LASRAB is on the verge of coming up with a policy on archive and record management, the first of its kind in the country.
It is important to stress that data generated from the birth and death rate, marriage and population distribution of the state, land information/ urban memory services, budget information and statistical records, public organization records, if properly managed, would enable government to determine health and quality of life of the citizens, the literacy and educational level, welfare and the well-being of the people and thereby provide appropriate policies.
Though we live in highly urbanized and information –rich society, yet Lagos State is a state that has from time immemorial remained hooked to value system, culture tradition and family histories, hence the outstanding performance in their chosen field. Records and archive of Lagos State are part of its cultural heritage and development resources. They are thus essential element in helping the present and future generations to understand, improve, manage and preserve their patrimony, less the physical and cultural discontinuity of urban change obliterate the historical milestones of development, for there can be little or no sustainable development without preserving cultural continuity. Hence, the bureau is currently encouraging traditional rulers in the state to document the history of their respective domains and forward such with it for preservation and public consultation.
It is in order to properly stress the importance of record keeping that the International Council on Archives [ICA] in Vienna, Austria, in 2004 declared June 9 every year as the International Archives Day (IAD). The day is geared towards spreading the word about the Universal Declaration on Archives, which recognizes the essential role of archives in supporting administrative accountability and transparency, protecting the rights of individuals and organizations, and forming part of the cultural heritage of society. This year’s International Archives Day celebration comes under the theme “Archives, Citizenship and Inter-culturalism”. The theme relates to the connection between archives, culture and the people. In a world where hitherto revered cultural values are being daily eroded, placing high premium on the essentiality of archives and record keeping will, no doubt, help in preserving the culture and tradition of various societies.
As it has become customary, especially in the past five years, LASRAB will also be joining other stakeholders across the globe to mark this year’s edition of International Archives Day by drawing the attention of stakeholders to the need to chart the way forward for the sector in the country. Hopefully, aside the usual fanfare and intellectual discourses that typically characterize the day’s commemoration, it is expected that this year’s edition would impact greatly on record keeping in the country and, indeed, the world at large. Considering the importance of record keeping as previously illustrated above, the imperative for a vibrant and active record keeping tradition should not be lost on both the public and private sectors.
- Onayele is Director General, Lagos State Records & Archives Bureau.
