Departments

Mr. Harry Lafinhan

OBJECTIVES

The National Archives of Nigeria presently operates under the provision of the National Archives Act of 1992.

•To locate, assemble and rationalize the documentary source material of the country and preserve them    permanently for research and other purposes
•To enhance efficiency and economy in the running of government Ministries and departments, by   developing and advising on methods for the elimination of  non-current records and for their eventual   transfer to the Federal Records Centers and the National Archives
•To extend the interest of the department beyond that of non-current records and semi-current records   in creating agencies through records management programmes
•To restore and preserve historical records through conservation activities;
•To serve as an information bank for government documentary source materials
•To publish guides and historical materials for the benefit of the people and to educate through training   the citizenry on the importance of records and their documentary heritage
•Preservation and management of records of individuals, private bodies, Companies and business   organizations

 VISION  
To ensure permanent custody, care and control of all archives of the Federal Government and of such other archives or historical records of the nation using the best modern technology.

MISSION 
To build a well-informed Citizenry  through the development, promotion and  improvement   of records, archives and information services by disseminating information from its holdings using the best modern technology.

ACTIVITIES

•Transfer and Acquisition of Public Records to National Archives Repository.
•Implementation of Records Management Programme in Nigeria in the Federal Public Service.
•Establishment of Archives by State Governments
•The digitalization of archives
•Annual Training Programmes for departmental records officers
•Microfilming of Archives
•Preservation and Management of Company Records
•Preservation of Archives
•Communication/Dissemination of Records
•Preservation and Management of individuals and Private Bodies
•Provision of Library Services

STRUCTURE

Today, the National Archives of Nigeria is being repositioned as a parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Information and Communications. The department is presently headed by a Director who is based at the headquarters in Abuja and operates under the supervision of the Honourable Minister of Information and Communications.  At the headquarters the department is presently structured under two major professional divisions and headed by Deputy Directors namely:

•Archives Administration Division
•Record Management, Planning and Project Division.

Professional Archivists with the Rank of Deputy Director are in charge of the National Archives of   Nigeria Zonal offices located in Ibadan, Kaduna and  Enugu.Below the Zonal offices Archivist with the  rank of Assistant Directors, head the branch offices.  The branch offices are located in states such as Lagos, Ogun (Abeokuta), Ondo (Akure), Edo (Benin), Imo (Owerri), Rivers (Port Harcourt), Cross Rivers  (Calabar), Kwara (Ilorin), Plateau (Jos), Borno (Maiduguri), and Sokoto (Sokoto).

CONTACT PERSON: MR.  AUWAL. MOHAMMED ADAMU.
E-MAIL: nationarchives@yahoo.com

 
ACHIEVEMENT

• Records of national significance have been acquired from various Ministries, Departments and    Agencies
  

•  The Department has issued General Records Retention and Disposal Schedule for the systematic transfer of general records to the National Archives

The department has succeeded in establishing in conjunction with the Department of Library, Archival  and Information Studies, University of Ibadan, a  post-graduate degree programme in Archival  Studies. The programme bridges a major gap in the training needs of Archivists locally.

•  Publication of Guide to Sources of Nigerian History
•  Digitalization of Endangered Archives
•  Microfilming of Archives of National Significance.
• Conservation of Archives
• Establishment of National Committee for Archival Development (NACAD)
• International Relations. The Director of National Archives of Nigeria is the current Vice-President  of  West African Branch of International Council on  Archives (WARBICA).
• Establishment of National Archives Advisory Council
•  Establishment of National Archives Advancement Committee
• Establishment of Archives by Business Houses and Companies in Nigeria