Niger library association honours NECO registrar for ‘promoting education development’

The Niger state chapter of the Nigerian Library Association (NLA) has conferred an award on Dantani Wushishi, registrar of the National Examination Council (NECO), for promoting education and library development in the state.

The award — ‘Vanguard of Education and Library Development’ — was presented to the NECO registrar during the 2022 workshop/conference of the association in Minna, the Niger capital, on Tuesday.

The conference, which was tagged: ‘Exploring Innovative Library and Information Services in the Digital Age’, was aimed at bringing to the fore issues, prospects, and challenges of emerging digital technologies in information service delivery.

Fatimah Abduldayan, chairperson of the association, in her opening remarks, said members need to be up-to-date on changes in the library and information profession occasioned by the evolution of digital technology.

“The knowledge gained herein will in turn enhance confidence and courage in librarians and information scientists to meet up with global best practices in this noble profession,” she said.

“This is to tell you that this year’s theme is featured by most, if not all, issues affecting the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs), including social media networking, in discharging effective and efficient library and information services by librarians and information scientists in the ICT-driven era.”

In enumerating some of the successes recorded by the association, the chairperson said during her tenure, the association organised workshops and seminars for members and students in the state, while sensitisation has been carried out in secondary schools.

She also highlighted other achievements to include advocacy on the need for resuscitation of the Niger state public library board building, members welfare, and production of the state chapter journal.

Abu Kasim Adamu, vice-chancellor of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai (IBBUL) and keynote speaker at the conference, said libraries are repositories of invaluable information and with the improvements in technology, the effective use of information is what makes the difference between success and failure.

Adamu, who was represented by Hassan Ibrahim, deputy vice-chancellor (administration) of IBBUL, said in the present age, libraries have shifted from old traditional forms of service delivery to a more robust and efficient mode of information generation, storage, retrieval, and transfer.

Abdulsalam Madaki, deputy chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Niger state chapter, was also awarded ‘Ambassador of NLA Niger State for the Year 2022’, for his support towards the successful hosting of the conference and other activities.