FROM ARCHIVES TO ALGORITHMS: BUILDING DIGITAL PRESERVATION FRAMEWORKS FOR NIGERIA'S CULTURAL HERITAGE

There is no doubt that the level of reading culture among Nigerians is facing the north as data available to the National Library of Nigeria support this assertion. Over the years the number of visits to the Library has been on a steady rise. Also, the daily requests from patrons for access to the recently deployed Pro-Quest subject database across our branches are enough to make the inference that the reading culture in Nigeria is on the rise.  However, how the rise in the reading culture level has impacted the general performance level at examinations such as the Joint Administration and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and West Africa School Certificate Examination, requires a scientific appraisal of the factors that could be responsible for the dismal performance, to provide data, which will inform policy and dictate the nature of interventions needed.

The inability of the JAMB to provide data for the seven years (2006-2012) preceding the total adoption of CBT in 2018 makes it difficult for the application of any inferential statistical tool or formulation of any hypothesis to see whether the change from Paper Based Test to Computer Based Test (CBT) has been responsible for the dismal performance between 2018-2024 or not. The recently released figures by JAMB on the poor performance of candidates show 78.29 as the average for 7 years (2018-2024) apparently insufficient to allow the use of inferential statistical tool to compare the data with baseline data for seven years (2006-2012).

 It is surely within the purview of JAMB to first exploit the impact of factors such as the actual number of candidates with real access to computers, the percentage of those who are computer savvy, and the number of candidates who emotionally preferred the conventional method. It is when satisfactory answers to these questions have been provided that JAMB could say an equitable enabling environment has been provided for the candidates. The usual JAMB mock CBT conducted a few weeks before the real examination is inadequate for candidates to gain confidence and become familiar with the new mode of examination. While one will marvel at the dexterity of some young ones on the computer, a large number of them could be nervous throughout the allocated time and not know how to effectively handle the system for the important examination. We all know that except for a predetermined outcome, a candidate at any level of study will be nervous no matter how well prepared, before he/she regains his/her composure.

Several reasons have been adduced for the worrisome performance of candidates at the JAMB examination. These include inadequacy of qualified tutors in most schools, insufficient and inappropriate parental guidance; and lack of sufficient zeal for academic excellence on the part of candidates due to the negative societal influence (get-rich-quick syndrome), which discourages patience as a virtue and disincentives hard work. Some have also called for the review of the roles of the critical stakeholders in the educational sector with the view to providing solutions to the problem militating against the impressive performance of the young ones at examinations. However, Nigerians are consoled by the belief in the resilience of Nigerian youth as many will eventually gain admission into the Universities and graduate with resounding success. No Nigerian will also forget in a hurry the sanity the present JAMB’s management has brought to the integrity of the examination, which had pushed the so-called ‘miracle centres’ out of business.

 

The National Library of Nigeria (NLN) as one of the critical stakeholders has decided to urgently intervene by establishing practice centres for CBT examination across the country. Authorities at sub-national levels will be encouraged to ensure that a model, which allows candidates to write four papers of his/her school mock examination for the WASCE, after two sessions at NLN’s practice centre or make 2 online attempts, is developed. The Library will also work with relevant stakeholders in the educational sector to ensure that more students subscribe to the Nigeria Learning Passport (NLP) which has partly addressed the problems the unsatisfactory per-tutor ratio (PTR) in schools posed to students’ performance at examinations and national development; through the provision of digital resources with offline capabilities to make access for all possible.

The recent figure released by UNICEF on the number of subscribers to NLP is timely and assuring that Nigeria is determined to address the issue of the digital divide anywhere it exists in the educational sector. It is not a hurrah yet as only 2.8% of students in the primary and secondary schools have subscribed to NPL based on data available at http.//www.epdc.org and if the rates at which students in both secondary and primary schools are equal, it means only 288,320 students in the secondary schools have subscribed. Therefore, the Library is commissioning a preliminary study to generate data to guide her intervention efforts aimed at getting more students to subscribe to the NLP.

The Library has decided to make the annual readership campaign promotion an all-year-round exercise; leveraging technology to move it online with the view to widening its scope and making it more participatory and engaging without distracting students’ attention from studies. The Virtual Library Service Department (VLSD) with effect from July 2024 will commence an online programme, which will focus on accounts of great Nigerians and their contribution to national development. It is believed that stories or accounts our young ones could relate to tend to be more impact and inspiring. Therefore, our online platform will be used to positively set an agenda for students to channel their energy towards productive activities and help them attain academic excellence as fantastic prizes will be won every month through activities designed to challenge their ingenuity and capacity for critical thinking. The members of the public can check our portal http://www.nln.gov.ng and social media handles for the details of the programme with effect from June 30. 2024.

The late Prof. Olukoye Ransome-Kuti provided a good example of how individuals could contribute to improved students’ performance at examinations. The Prof. will go to his Alma Mata (Igbobi College, Lagos) after the normal classes to teach science students and he even continued when he became the Minister of Health at a time the PTR for science subjects was generally low in the country. There are also several examples of individuals in the country, who have built schools, donated libraries and other learning resources to their communities. The NLN is, therefore, willing to collaborate with individuals, private organizations and governmental bodies who want to emulate these examples and positively impact the educational sector for national development. The National Librarian/Chief Executive Officer will launch in August 2024 the #1000 Friends of the Library# an advisory private body committed to library development in Nigeria. Also, the library welcomes new ideas or suggestions that could lead to a more satisfactory delivery of library services, which engender impressive outcomes.

It can be concluded that the intervention programmes needed to improve the outcomes, require the joint effort of all including private individuals, so think about what you can do to help Nigeria attain her educational goals; a crucial aspect of the sustainable development agenda.

Abdulazeez Mistura Kikelomo (Mrs)

Deputy Director (VLSD).