Journal of Library Services and Technologies (2019), 1(1), 31-37 ISSN: 2616-1354 (Print) 2636-7424 (Online) Available online at credencepressltd.com

Information as a key to sustainable development in Nigeria

Abdulrazaq Baba Abdulrahman1* Rebecca Ape2 Nsanta George Egbe Egbe3

1Department of Library and Information Science, Federal University, Lafia, Nigeria E-mail: [email protected] 2University Library, Federal University, Lafia, Nigeria E-mail: [email protected] 3University Library, Federal University, Lafia, Nigeria E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract For a nation to be developed, it requires information. Today, information is the most important singular variable which differentiates and determines whether a country is the first, second, third or fourth world. Information has a key role to play in the attainment of sustainable development goals. The roles of libraries in attaining the sustainable development goals are indispensable. Information as a commodity, if properly utilized for decision making, policy formulation, research and educational purposes can result in sustainable development. This paper looks at , skills required of individuals, importance of information literacy, roles of libraries as agents of information literacy for the attainment of sustainable development, challenges and imperatives for sustainable development.

Keywords: Information literacy, Literacy skills, Sustainable Development Goals.

Introduction Concept of information literacy It is no longer a new phenomenon that the world Traditionally, one can describe literacy as the has moved from industrial age into information ability to read and write. Literacy is of different age. A man's desire and quest for knowledge has types which include visual literacy, media led to the creation and accumulation of literacy, , digital literacy, tremendous amount of information. The world network literacy, library literacy. Information today boasts of a knowledge based society and literacy is quite different from the the quest for knowledge knows no bounds and aforementioned types of literacy. It is the limits and is never satisfied. combination of all these concepts but goes Information has been defined by many beyond it. scholars in various ways. To some, it is news, Information literacy, according to data, facts, while others see it as communication UNESCO (2013),is of ideas. According to Nnadozia and Unagha a set of competencies that empowers (2015), information is viewed as answers to citizens to access, retrieve, questions that begin with such words as who, understand,evaluate and use, to what, where, when and how many. This create as well as share information indicates that it could be knowledge one gets and media content in all formats, about someone or something as well as factors using various tools, in a critical, or details about a subject. Diffen (2016) sees ethical and effective way, in order to information as data processed, organized, participate and engage in personal, structured and presented in a given context so as professional and societal activities. to make it useful. Information literacy has to do with knowing when and why you need information, where to find it, and how to evaluate, use and

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31 Abdulrazaq Baba Abdulrahman, Rebecca Ape & Nsanta George Egbe Egbe: Information literacy as a key to sustainable development in Nigeria communicate it in an ethical manner (CILIP, challenge of our time is not producing 2012). The skills that are required to be an information or storing information, but getting information literate person call for people to gain and use information resources. To understanding of a need for information, the gain access and use these vast resources resources available, how to find information, the effectively, information users must learn to need to evaluate results, how to work or exploit overcome information anxiety in order to results, how to communicate or share your explore the available information to enable them findings and how to manage your findings. interpret and use information for rational Information literate people are those who have decision-making. Analyzing, interpreting and learned how to learn. They know how to learn presenting information for use in any because they know how information is environment is an essential skill users of organized, how to find information and how to information resources should possess if they are use information in such a way that others can to be relevant. According to Idiodi (2005), learn from them. information literacy skills acquisition is an Information for all Programme (IFAP, aspect of information literacy and may be seen 2008:25) has defined information literacy as: as the process of gaining the tools that assist the the capacity of people to recognize their development of information literacy in an information needs, locate and evaluate individual. the quality, store and retrieve Information literacy skills are necessary information, make effective and ethical for our daily living, a successful career life as use of information and apply well as successful educational pursuit. With information to create and communicate knowledge. The scope of Information information literacy skills, acquiring information Literacy includes computer literacy, on any issue of life becomes stress less. technology literacy, information technology literacy, internet literacy, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS) digital literacy, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were more. formulated by the United Nations Organisation Information literacy, as a concept, helps and were adopted at the Sustainable people to interpret and make informed Development Summit on 25th September, 2015 judgments. It is a prerequisite for participating by the United Nations member states. It is now effectively in the information society and part of referred to as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable the basic human rights of lifelong learning. Development which, according to Galyuon (2016), includes a set of 17 Sustainable Information literacy skills Development goals (SDGs) aimed at ending For an individual to be information literate, poverty, fighting inequality and justice, tackling he/she need an understanding of; climate change by 2030. 1. Task definition - a need for The SDGs are built on the Millennium information Development Goals (MDGs) which was adopted 2. Information seeking strategies in 2000, aimed at reducing poverty, hunger, 3. Locate and access disease, gender inequality and improved access 4. Use of information to water and sanitation. Though the MDGs made 5. Synthesis enormous progress, despite the success, the 6. Evaluation indignity of poverty, hunger and other anti- 7. How to communicate or store findings poverty has not ended particularly in Africa and As the volume of information is constantly most especially in Nigeria. The MDGs made increasing, search skills are required not only in progress in several areas, such as income, order to gain access to the available information poverty reduction, access to improved water resources, but also to shift from the large sources, primary school enrolment, child quantity and utilize the most appropriate mortality among others. information resources. This is why Pezeshki- Rad and Zamani (2005) asserted that, the real

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32 Abdulrazaq Baba Abdulrahman, Rebecca Ape & Nsanta George Egbe Egbe: Information literacy as a key to sustainable development in Nigeria

The SDGs, according to Galyuon (2016) are The 17 SDGs covered various aspects of las follows: human welfare, prosperity and climate change and sustainable industrialization. For the goals to 1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere; be achieved, everyone needs to key into the 2. End hunger, achieve food security and agenda. Libraries are not an exception. improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture; Importance of information literacy for 3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well- Sustainable Development being for all at al ages; The importance of information literacy in our 4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality society today cannot be undermined because it is and promote lifelong learning vital for individual and societal development. opportunity for all; This is why Abell and Oxbrow (2001) describe 5. Achieve gender equality and empower information literacy as an important competency all women and girls; needed for success in knowledge-based 6. Ensure availability and sustainable environment. A literate person knows when management of water and sanitation for information is required and can also identify the all; category of information required before 7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, searching, identifying, locating and evaluating sustainable and modern energy for all; its content to ascertain its usefulness in meeting 8. Promote sustained, inclusive and the information need of the matter at hand. sustainable economic growth, full and The Association of College and productive employment and decent Research Libraries (2000) noted that information work for all; literacy is the basis necessary for lifelong 9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote learning. It equips learners with the ability to inclusive and sustainable master content and research further as the case industrialization and foster innovation; may be, gives you the confidence to be more 10. Reduced inequality within and among self-directed and assume greater control over countries; their own learning. Mokhtar and Shaheen (2008) 11. Make cities and human settlements added that information literacy is an important inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable; aspect that is utilitarian in every aspect of human 12. Ensure sustainable consumption and life. Information literacy enhances independent production patterns; and authenticated learning for students, instead 13. Take urgent action to combat climate of depending on their teachers to meet their change and its impacts; information needs when they need answers to 14. Conserve and sustainably use the questions. For employees, information literacy oceans, seas and marine resources for enables them to source for the most current and sustainable development; authoritative information that would enhanced 15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable their productivity in their respective jobs. use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably Ordinary citizens also benefits from information manage forests, combat desertification, literacy as it helps them to effectively analyze halt and reserve land degradation and information they face and utilize on daily bases. halt biodiversity loss; 16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies Roles of libraries as agents of information for sustainable development, provide literacy for the attainment of Sustainable access to justice for all and build Development effective, accountable and inclusive Libraries play vital roles in enhancing societal institutions at all levels; and progress. It is necessary for the 21st century 17. Strengthen the means of implementation librarian to ensure that information literacy skills and revitalize the global partnership for are inculcated on user to facilitate the effective sustainable development. use and application of information to enhance

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33 Abdulrazaq Baba Abdulrahman, Rebecca Ape & Nsanta George Egbe Egbe: Information literacy as a key to sustainable development in Nigeria personal and societal development. For this improving the declining food security of a reason, the need for information literacy has country (Agbo&Onyekweodiri, 2014). been advanced from the acquisition of skills that Libraries important role in the enables users to locate and use information to dissemination of health information and the include the empowerment and enhancement of promotion of healthy lifestyles. Academic personal and societal development. It is libraries are saddled with the provision of important to note that libraries are not only information on health in different formats to repositories of knowledge serve as catalysts for medical health workers, students, patients and national development. It opens up minds and researchers in medical schools, teaching inspires people to see vision because the mind is hospitals and health institutions. Citizens needs the centre point where progress originates. information and access to health information on Libraries are responsible for nourishing the drug addicts, sexually transmitted diseases mind. (STD), HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, maternal health Libraries are also germane in services etc. The impact of this on health sector educational development of a nation. This is will be a low rate of health challenges in the done through their services and programmes, country, improved health conditions of introducing children to the habit and joy of patients as well as healthy life styles among reading and aiding scholars and researchers in citizens contributing their quota to societal development. Students are supported with the aid of books and Challenges of Information Literacy in Nigeria other relevant information resources to perform The challenges of information literacy in Nigeria well in their academic work while teachers and can be attributed to the following; lecturers get teaching aids from libraries to 1. The relative newness of and prepare useful lesson notes that will help them inadequate exposure of library pass useful knowledge to their students users to information literacy, which (Agbo&Onyekweodiri, 2014). include awareness, ability to locate Rural libraries have been established in and recognize information. rural areas with the aim of supporting adult 2. Lack of skills to explore the literacy as a way of championing the provision different information systems of relevant information materials to different available, which include communities as well as helping in the information seeking strategies establishment of an informed society. This has 3. Poor reading culture of vast number enabled rural dwellers that were originally of Nigerians. Gbadamosi (2007) deprived of information to know how to read attributed the low level of reading and write. Most importantly, having access to a habits by multi-varied factors and wide range of information that has to do with these factors include: change in their societal issues, they have been able to make Nigerian value system, economic decisive decisions to improve their socio- hardship which is prevalent in many economic growth (Achitabwino, 2007). homes, astronomical prices of books It is equally incontrovertible that and other information materials as libraries have the greatest impact on agricultural well as cost of publishing books, development of a nation. Libraries provide which is very high today. relevant information on agricultural 4. Paucity of libraries and information improvement to all agricultural officers, centres at the state and local levels extension workers, researchers, peasant farmers, to educate and promote literacy policy makers, etc. on new methods of programmes through provision of improving livestock and better farming practices adequate and relevant information that will meet the increasing need of the materials that will meet the population. Libraries make such information information needs of their users. available and also provide opportunities for

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5. Essentially, Sanders (2007) 4. There is the need for the establishment maintained that the distraction by of functional libraries by both state and the fallout from technological federal government in all primary and innovation in the world today, such secondary schools across the federation. as the easy availability of the This will improve the information entertainment media, games and literacy of the people because the gambling, inadequate funding of primary and secondary education is the educational institutions including basic for knowledge acquisition and funding of libraries, laboratories, subsequently it will translate to workshop and computer units. The sustainable development. list also includes poor economy and 5. There is the need for libraries to low standard of living, the quest for strategize ways of attracting users to the money by parents who use their library by mounting user education and children to hawk consumer items, publicity and public relation prevalence of examination programmes. This will enable users to malpractices as well as increasing identify what resources are available for cost of publishing making it difficult exploitation, how to access them and for school pupils to have access to ability to search appropriate resources books, magazines, journals and effectively and identify relevant news-papers. Others include information. inadequate number of bookshops 6. Ochogwu (2009) stressed the need to and the use of handouts instead of recognize the importance of the textbooks for students learning by relationship between information and many teachers in the institutions. knowledge utilization for sustainable development as it will form the bedrock Imperatives for Sustainable Development for national development in the For Nigeria as a country to achieve the information age. Information can be sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the proper utilized for planning, decision United Nations, the following are very pertinent making and formulation of policies. for consideration and implementation: This can be represented 1. There is the need for librarians to be diagrammatically as shown as follows: proactive rather than reactive or passive. Proper diagnosis and customization of services will enable them to determine the information needs of their users and provide them with relevant and current information materials. 2. There is the need for training and retraining of users on information literacy (traditionally and technologically) in order to enable users keep abreast of the ever – changing technologies. 3. There is need for attitudinal change among librarians and government. Librarians need to show their relevance to the society and this will bring a positive disposition from the society and government towards library and information issues.

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Information gotten from Knowledge Sustainable Transferred to theoretical or applied utilization by Results in development in form researches in the areas of: of:

- Health - Decision makers or - Good road network - Agriculture - Managers - Qualitative education - Education - Constant power - Transportation supply - Law, etc - Portable water - Qualitative healthcare delivery, etc.

Fig. 1: Model on information for sustainable development (Ochogwu, M.G (2009)

Conclusion Bruce, C. (2003). Seven faces of information Information is vital in all forms of human literacy: Towards inviting students endeavour as it is the link pin of national into new experiences. Retrieved development In order to grow more efficiently fromhttp://kennison.name/files/zopest in all aspects of the society, developing ore/uploads/libraries/bruce-7- countries must collect and provide access to faces.pdf. adequate and up-to-date information on food CILIP (2012).Information literacy: Definitions security, health, democracy, population, and model. Retrieved from education, family planning, youth www.informationliteracy.org.uk empowerment, gender equality, environment, /information literacydefinitions/ . etc. (Achitabwino, 2007). Nigeria cannot Diffen, O. (2016). Data vs information. develop without adequate information, Retrieved from http://www. diffen. therefore people must be able to identify their com/differences/DataVsInformation. information needs, where to explore them, Doyle, C. (2001). Information literacy in an access and utilize the information to better the Information Society: A concept for the individual and Nigeria at large. Information Age. Syracuse, NY:ERIC. Galynon, I. (2016). African’s education and References Sustainable Development Goals Abell, A. &Oxbrow, N. (2001).Competing (2030): Where is the Nexus? Key note and knowledge in information address for the World Educators professional in the knowledge Forum 5th International Conference, management age. London: Library held in Cape Coast Ghana. Association and TFPL. Gbadamosi, T. (2007). Library reading culture Achitabwino, P. (2007). Libraries and and students’ academic performance national development. post. in secondaryschools in Ondo State. Retrieved Middle Belt Journal of Library and fromhttp://pachitabwino.blogspot.com Information Science, 7(2), 42-58. /2007/03/libraries-and-national- Idiodi, E. A. (2005). Approaches to development.html information literacy acquisition in Agbo, A. D. &Onyekweodiri, N. E. (2014). Nigeria. Library Review, 54(4), 223– Libraries are dynamic tools for 230. national development. Chinese IFAP (2008). Information For All Programme: Librarianship: An international Strategic Plan (2008-2013): Electronic journal,38. Retrieved from Discussion draft (17):(Online). www.white-clouds.com/iclc/cliej/cl38 Retrieved from AO.pdf http://porter.unesco.org/ci/en/files Association of College and Research Libraries. Mokhtar, I. A. &Majid, S. (2008). (2000). Information Literacy Information literacy standards, Competency Standards for Higher guidelines and theirimplementation: Education. Retrieved from An analysis. DESIDOC Journal of http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlstandar Library & Information ds/standards.pdf Technology,28(2), 5-12.

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