Don advocates for the establishment of Digital Preservation Centre in Nigeria

By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja.

PROFESSOR of Information Science, Prof. Ezra Shiloba Gbaje has call for the establishment of Nigerian National Centre for Digital Preservation (NNCDP) for monitoring and conduct of researches on digital preservation in Nigeria.

Prof. Gbaje made the call in his Inaugural Lecture titled: “Beyond Digitization: Access and Preservation” which he presented as the 13th in the Federal University Lokoja (FUL) Inaugural Lecture series on Wednesday in Lokoja.

He held that there is also the need for a “unified National digital preservation policy and implementation strategies” that would address identified lapses.

The policy, he added was expected to provide a well-articulated roadmap for digital preservation activities for the National Information Centres and other related efforts in digital preservation in the country.

The Information Science Specialist suggested in his Policy Principle Statement, that the Centre, which is expected to function as a parastatal, would have the mandate and commitment to digital objects preservation.

The Center, he added, would ensure that digital objects created and preserved at the Nigerian National Information Centres are available accessible for re-use in the short and long-term

Prof. Gbaje also called for the modification and re-designing of the Open Archival Information System (OAIS) reference model for the preservation of digital objects using appropriate computer hardware and Dspace Open Source Softwares.

He hinted that the Federal Government of Nigeria over the past two decades had evolved and promoted many initiatives and policies that encourage the use of digital technology in almost every facet of human endeavours.

The aim, according to him, is to ensure that Information Technology resources are readily available to promote efficient national development and provide enabling environment for data protection and data utility.

“I wish to state that to date, no digital preservation policy has been put in place to ensure that the growing digital objects created as a result of a shift to digital information systems are preserved for long-term accessibility and re-use”, Prof. Gbaje observed.

“There must be active intervention to make sure that the digital objects stored in storage media can be located accessed and used over a long term period.

“Digital preservation policies and strategies are crucial parts of managing risks associated with rapid computer hardware and software obsolescences”, he said.

He added that Fake News was now rampant because of improper information preservation procedures saying that when put in proper perspective, systems would begin to reject fake news on their own. Fake News have peculiar features.

Speaking earlier, Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Olayemi Akinwumi described the title of the lecture: “Beyond Digitization: Access and Preservation” as thought-provoking.

He noted that the occasion held special significance for the institution “as we gather here to celebrate knowledge, academic excellence, and the remarkable achievements of one of our esteemed academics, Professor Ezra Shiloba Gbaje.

According to him, the title speaks volumes about the ever evolving landscape of digital technology and the challenges it poses to us as custodians of knowledge.”

He said that Prof. Gbaje’s selection as the distinguished lecturer for the prestigious event was a testament to his unwavering commitment to research, teaching, and the pursuit of academic excellence.

Prof. Akinwumi described the 13th Inaugural Lecture as a testament to the institution’s unwavering dedication to the dissemination of knowledge and the pursuit of intellectual growth and provided platform to foster meaningful discussions, exchange ideas and encourage interdisciplinary collaboration. (Ends)