Records Management in Aid of Information Service for Change: The Nigerian Perspective

Abstract

A record is any medium in or on which information is  recorded. Medium, includes paper, magnetic tape and disc, microfilm, audio tape,  film, slide and photography. Records management implies a series of activities which include the creation, distribution, use, maintenance  and disposition of recorded information. It is that field of management responsible for the orderly control of creation, maintenance use  and disposition of records. Records are essential to the administration of government institutions, as they contain the information that  keeps government programmes functioning, and they equally give government officials the basis for making decisions, administering  programmes and providing administrative continuity with past operations. They therefore constitute a vital tool for decision-making. So,  the availability of the right person at the right time guarantees a well informed decision which can impact positively on society. The paper analyzed issues of records and information management and the role of this activity as an instrument of positive change in  administrative efficiency and success of institutions of government.