AJOL - African Journals Online
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Knowledge audit at National Archives of Zimbabwe: a step towards implementing knowledge management
Get PDFRationale of Study - The first step to implement knowledge management is preceded by an audit of the organisation’s knowledge and as such, this study sought to investigate the knowledge that National Archives of Zimbabwe (NAZ) needs, where that knowledge is, how it is being used, the problems experienced, and the improvements which can be made.
Methodology - A case study approach with a triangulation of data collection methods was employed. Data was collected through questionnaires, interviews and documentary analysis.
Findings - The study established that NAZ archivists possess vital tacit knowledge required by the organisation. However, they need to acquire knowledge on audio-visual records management, conservation of documents, and reprographics, among other areas. It also emerged that printed documents such as manuals and books were very useful sources of explicit knowledge for decision making. Another finding was that internal and external knowledge flow is hindered by poor communication and unwillingness of staff to share knowledge, among other barriers. The gaps established were that archivists very often were not sure about where to find relevant information or what to do. They were also unsure of whom to collaborate with.
Implications - This paper can be used as a stepping stone to initialise the implementation of knowledge management practice at the NAZ.
Originality - The paper presents the findings of a knowledge audit that was, for the first time, conducted at the National Archives of Zimbabwe, an organisation that has suffered knowledge attrition due to employee mobility
Achieving information safety in a disaster environment: the way forward for Africa
Get PDFRationale of Study – Disaster incidents are becoming common globally. When they occur, disasters are known to cause great havoc resulting in high numbers of human fatalities and injuries; massive damage and destruction of property; and high degrees of strain on environmental resources. In most cases, people only associate Africa’s disasters with humanitarian consequences while completely ignoring other forms of damages and losses caused therein. The impact of disasters on records and information in Africa is generally ignored.
Methodology – Based on a desk review of secondary data, this descriptive study explored the information capabilities, potentials and risks that Africa has which can be threatened by disasters.
Findings – The findings of the study indicate that although records management in Africa is still largely paperbased, electronic records management is picking pace across the continent in line with current global practice. However, the limited use of digital document signing technologies means that official signed records still have to be kept in hard-copies. This poses threats to records during emergencies.
Implications – The author recommends that a more holistic approach should be taken in discourses regarding Africa’s disasters and their management. Most importantly, there should be meaningful disaster management focused on ensuring information security before, during and after disasters. This is considering that even disaster recovery efforts are largely hinged on the safety of these records.
Originality – Although it used secondary data, this study was original in terms of its scope and coverage. It emphasises that emerging technologies that enable records to be processed, signed and stored without printing should be used to ensure environmental and information safety during disasters.  
The status of the implementation of institutional repositories in selected newly established universities in Kenya
Get PDFRationale of Study – Academic institutions worldwide have embraced institutional repositories as a means to showcase their research globally. In Kenya, the majority of academic institutions with effective repositories are established universities. Little is known of institutional repositories of newly established universities in Kenya. This study evaluated the status of the implementation of institutional repositories of universities established between 2016 and 2017 in Kenya.
Methodology – The researchers used a descriptive research design in this study. Data was collected from professional library staff in three newly established universities using questionnaires. The actual respondents were selected through information-oriented purposive sampling. The sample size was twenty librarians from Kirinyaga University, Machakos University, and University of Embu.
Findings – All the university libraries investigated had functional institutional repositories. The libraries had developed submission and metadata policies. The staff charged with implementing institutional repositories had relevant skills, understood the scholarly communication cycle, and were responsible for recruitment of institutional repository content. The challenges faced in implementing institutional repositories included low levels of awareness of the existence of IR by the intended users, reluctant of the researchers in submitting their research with the IR, lack of resources, inadequate staff, and submission policy.
Implications – The findings of this study buttresses the place of information repositories as a platform to share research literature and open access to scholarly materials globally even for newly established universities in developing countries.
Originality – Unlike the majority of research on institutional repositories in Kenya which focused on established universities, this study tells the story of newly established universities in Kenya
Mentoring for Sustaining and Maintaining Professionalism in Nigerian Academic Libraries
Get PDFRationale of Study – This paper highlights the usefulness of mentoring in sustaining professionalism among academic librarians in Nigeria. The paper identifies who a librarian is, the cardinal elements of a profession, the code of ethics of librarianship and why it is important for librarians to follow the rules and regulations of the profession.
Methodology – A quantitative research design was selected for this study to investigate the views of librarians on mentoring for sustaining professionalism in Nigerian academic libraries. The study used questionnaires to collect data which was analysed quantitatively.
Findings – The key findings showed that majority of the respondents are into one form of mentoring. Results also showed that there are benefits in mentoring and it should be encouraged and sustained for professional development. The paper concludes that mentoring is a tool needed for building future librarians and required for taking the profession to its expected destination.
Implications – The results of the study will help librarians and library associations to appreciation and encourage mentoring in the profession and do all to sustain professionalism through mentoring.
Originality – The paper’s contribution to knowledge lies in its evidence to support the position that librarians need mentoring to facilitate productivity and professionalism in academic libraries
A Quantitative Analysis of the Relative Efficiency of Monetary and Fiscal Policy in Macroeconomic Management in Nigerian Economy
Get PDFThe study explores the relative efficiency of monetary and fiscal policy in macroeconomic management in Nigeria. To this end, the paper using autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach, examines the relative efficiency of the above macroeconomic policy tools in Nigeria between 1981 and 2020 using annual time series data. The results from the analysis revealed that few of the variable indicators at different lags were negatively signed contrary to theoretical expectation. This was not unexpected as most of the government expenditures do not translate to better output that will enhance improvement in the economic activities. Also, the results further demonstrate a direct relationship of more lagged periods of the variables implying a positive response to economic activities. In the same line of action, the results of the study show that fiscal policy rather than monetary policy exerts a greater impact on economic activities in Nigeria. The emphasis on monetary action on the part of the government has led to bigger distortion in the economy of Nigeria. The study hereby recommends a higher concentration on the use of fiscal policy particularly expansionary fiscal policy to induce the economic activities and complement it with contractionary fiscal policy when the economy is characterized by inflationary issues. The paper further added that the government should also compliment the use of fiscal policy with monetary policy where necessary. 
Nexus between E-Banking and the Upsurge of Crime in Kaduna State, Nigeria
Get PDFThis study examines the nexus between e-banking and the upsurge of crime with a focus on Kaduna metropolis Nigeria. A systematic sampling technique was used through Taro Yamane formula to calculate the sample size.The study used semi-structured questionnaires, interview guides, and tape recording to sample 400 residents. The data were analysed using percentage method, frequency and logit regression. The findings revealed that E-banking has significant effect on crime upsurge in Kaduna state. The study concludes that Crime level reduced in terms of frequency and prevalence but the pattern of crime changed, New type of crimes such as Kidnap for ransom and Automated teller machine (ATM) theft increased. The study therefore recommends that urgent measures by the CBN through the banks should be taken so that information and telecommunication can be used in order to curtail the new pattern of crime caused by E-banking in Nigeria
Impact of Global Factors on Manufacturing Output Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa
Get PDFThis study examined the impact of global factors on manufacturing output growth in Sub-Saharan Africa. The study used annual panel data of forty (40) Sub-Sahara African countries from 1981 to 2019, constituting 38 observations for each country. The study employed secondary data obtained from World Bank’s World Development Indicators. The dynamic panel autoregressive distributed lag (PARDL) model was used through the pooled mean group (PMG), mean group (MG) and dynamic fixed effects (DFE) estimators. The findings of the study revealed that the only global factor that have significant impact on manufacturing output growth in Sub-Saharan Africa was foreign direct investment, which has a positive impact. The study concluded that, the inflow of foreign investment is vital to boosting manufacturing output in SSA countries. It therefore, recommended that policymakers in these countries should make efforts to attract further inflows of foreign capitals by ensuring a stable and business friendly economic environment through their macroeconomic policies of maintaining a low level of inflation and developing business-enhancing infrastructures
Nigerian citizen diplomacy and national security threats: a critical assessment
No full textNigeria occupied a place of relevance in regional and global networks of relations and exchanges. In the effort to bolster national prestige of African most populous country, citizen-centric diplomacy was initiated and popularized by Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua’s administration, 2007-2011. After more than a decade of its conduct, it becomes pertinent to re-examine its functionality and trends in credence to current crisis of national security bedeviling Nigeria nation-state. In this vein, the methodology is qualitative design which explored the imperatives of documentary sources and non-participant observational method of data collection to textual analyze scholarly perspectives, empirical narratives and events as related to key concepts of the discourse. Similarly, Richard Snyder Decision-Making theory in foreign policy study was applied to argue that Nigerian Citizen Diplomacy was conceptualized and initiated in cognizance of ‘objective realities’ in response to domestic, regional and global exigencies. Furthermore, the discourse revealed enormous national security challenges across 96 local government areas and 29 states of the federation as relevant institutions of Nigerian foreign service grapple in myriad of inadequacies to efficiently respond to the expectations of 17 million Nigerians in Diaspora which undoubtedly militates against lofty ideals and targets of Nigeria Citizen Diplomacy. From these findings, the discourse recommend for multi-sectoral responses, institutional alertness, advocacy among other measures to establish that Nigeria’s image and pride in international arena begins with the commitment towards safety and comfort of her citizens
Audit committee characteristics and financial reporting quality of selected firms in Nigeria
No full textThis paper performs an empirical investigation on the effect of audit committee characteristics on financial reporting quality of selected oil and gas companies listed on the floor of Nigeria Exchange Group for a period of ten years spanning 2011 to 2020 adopting ex-post facto and longitudinal research design. For the purpose of this paper, the study conducted a comprehensive analysis of data based on audit committee characteristics represented by audit committee size, audit committee busyness, audit committee gender diversity and audit committee independence, while our dependent variable financial reporting quality was captured using timeliness of financial report. Secondary data extracted from annual report and accounts of 10 oil and gas firms was subjected to some preliminary data tests such as descriptive analysis, correlation analysis and variance inflation factor and was analyzed using panel multiple regression technique taking cognizance of non homogeneity of firms data, hence the use of hausman effect tests . Result of Hausman specification test suggests that the random panel Least Square (RPLS) regression result was most appropriate for the dataset. The panel regression result indicates that audit committee size has positive but insignificant effect on financial reporting quality. Again audit committee busyness, audit committee gender diversity and audit committee independence has negative and insignificant effect on financial reporting quality of oil and gas firms in Nigeria. Given a negative effect of audit committee independence and gender, regulatory bodies should increase the independence of audit committee members in order to have adequate members who can monitor financial reporting process and also encourage more male participation in order to improve financial reporting quality of companies