By 
PRESS STATEMENT
LRCN WANTS NITDA’S INTERVENTION ON MOBILE APP FOR LIBRARY
By Lukman Oladokun
The Librarians Registration Council of Nigeria, LRCN has called on the National Information Technology Development Agency to work with local software developers in Nigeria to develop user friendly mobile application for library service in the country.
The council said technology has revolutionized the daily lives of individuals and the library service should not be an exemption 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.
This view was expressed by the Registrar/CEO of the Council, Prof. Michael Afolabi when he led members of his management team to NITDA on courtesy call.
He emphasised that the importance of NITDA as “a very strategic stakeholder has made it imperative to call on the Agency for exchange of views on how to fast track the ongoing collaborations between the two organisation.
“To us NITDA is a world class intervention Agency in the ICT sector, intervening remarkably in different sector of the nation’s economy. We are glad that your organisation has emerged an international brand, exporting best practice, he stated.
He said the council is developing standards for different categories of library and have commenced the review and set benchmark 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 and library and information subsector in particular.
He urged the Agency to finalize work on the e-library standard it formulated and set machinery in motion to commence the advocacy for the standard so that Nigeria 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 receives this news with excitement.
In his response to the requests made by the Council, the NITDA Acting Director General, 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. We have awarded eight virtual libraries this year to impact on our educational sector.
He said the Agency would work with other stakeholders in software sub sector of ICT industry to come 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 Institute of Software Practitioner of Nigeria, (ISPON), Young Innovators of Nigeria, (YIN) and our specially created purpose vehicle Office for ICT innovation and Entrepreneurship to look at the request for developing apps on e-library.
Dr. Olatunji said work is 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.
The NITDA head of Corporate Affairs, Hajiya Hadiza Umar advised the council to also register the e-libraries in the country and to also avail the Agency with the data of all government libraries in the country in order to upgrade them to e-libraries.
