Indigenous software developers must develop a mobile application for library services in Nigeria. This is the call by the Librarians Registration Council of Nigeria, (LRCN). The call, made by the LRCN, was in recognition of the core mandates of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), which has been championing the growth of the indigenous software subsector.
The Registrar/CEO of the Council, Prof. Michael Afolabi pointedly called on NITDA to work with local software developers in Nigeria to develop user friendly mobile application for library service in the country.
Prof. Afolabi was speaking when he led members of his management team to NITDA on a courtesy call.
The Council said technology has revolutionised the daily lives of individuals and the library service should not be an exception where service could be delivered to users and students on any Smartphone or other internet enabled devices which would make the library users stay connected to libraries service irrespective of their location.
Emphasising the importance of NITDA and his visit, Prof. Afolabi said as “a very strategic stakeholder is imperative to call on the Agency for exchange of views on how to fast track the on-going collaborations between the two organisations.”
Speaking further, he said: “To us NITDA is a world class intervention Agency in the ICT sector, intervening remarkably in different sectors of the nation’s economy. We are glad that your organisation has emerged an international brand, exporting best practice.”
He said the council is developing standards for different categories of libraries and has commenced the review and set benchmarks for library schools in Nigeria adding the commission is partnering with a number of governmental and nongovernmental organisations in order to make meaningful contribution to the education sector as well as library and information subsector in particular.
He urged NITDA to finalise work on the e-library standard it formulated and set machinery in motion to commence the advocacy for the standard so that the Nigerian public would understand and benefit from this policy.
“On our part, we have gradually commenced a silent advocacy to create awareness about the availability of new standards for e-libraries in Nigeria. Our Stakeholders often receive this news with excitement,” he stated.
In his response to the requests made by the Council, the Acting Director General of NITDA, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, assured his guests that the Agency is committed to enhancing the relationship that exist between the two organisation adding that NITDA’s mandate empowers it to intervene on other sectors and education is one of the sectors.
“It is on this note we want to change the traditional outlook of our library to virtual library. Last week we commissioned one at Ekiti State University and by October another one will be commissioned in Yola.”
Dr. Olatiunji said the Agency would work with other stakeholders in software sub-sector of the ICT industry to come up with apps for e-library.
“Our focus is to develop home grown solutions in our Software drives to address challenges that are peculiar to us. We will work with the Institute of Software Practitioner of Nigeria, (ISPON), Young Innovators of Nigeria, (YIN) and our specially created purpose vehicle, the Office for ICT innovation and Entrepreneurship, to look at the request for developing apps on e-library,” he affirmed
Dr. Olatunji said work is on-going on the final stage on the policy on standard formulated by NITDA, assuring them that the standard would soon be unveiled to the general public. He equally advised them to intensify their advocacy campaign for easy buy in by Nigeria.
NITDA’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Hajiya Hadiza Umar, advised the council to also register the e-libraries in the country and avail the Agency with the data of all government libraries in the country in order to upgrade them to e-libraries.