THE Federal Government has directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government to comply with the provision of legal deposit of books and other publications with the National Library of Nigeria for public use.
Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu who gave this directive on Thursday in Abuja, frowned at the refusal of many MDAs to make this compulsory deposit of publications with the National Library as stipulated by the law and in line with international standard practice.
He spoke in Abuja while declaring open a one-day sensitization workshop on international standards for publishing and legal deposit compliance in Nigeria for Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
National Librarian and Chief Executive Officer of National Library of Nigeria, Professor Lenrie Aina, also revealed that over 70 per cent of publications from MDAs deposited with NLN do not carry International Book Number (ISBN) and International Standard Serial Number (ISSN).
He, however, disclosed that the issuance of ISBN and ISSN to applicants has now been reduced from about 30 days to 48 hours now with the use of technology.
The Act establishing the NLN stipulates that authors/publishers should deposit three copies, the state governments and their agencies deposit ten copies and the Federal government and their agencies deposit 25 copies of all types of publications with National Library of Nigeria within one month after publication.
Adamu speaking further said: “Government documents, such as policy documents, statistical studies, reports of communications of inquiries, hearing on government policies and studies of past policy decisions among others, are produced on yearly basis and are not on public view, but however limited only to the MDAs themselves”.
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He said this was unfortunate and that such action does not project the image of the MDAs to the public.
The Minister who was represented by the Director Tertiary Education, Mr Joel Ojo, stressed that MDAs must also ensure that the formats of publication of government documents conform to publishing standards which are internationally ascribed and described.
Meanwhile, the National Librarian, Prof. Lenrie Aina, said the workshop was organized to sensitize the MDAs because a majority of them out ignorance do not comply with the law of legal deposit of books and other publications with the National Library.
“In addition, the importance of obtaining ISBN or ISSN is not best understood, as over 70 per cent of publications from MDAs deposited with National Library of Nigeria do not carry ISBN or ISSN as the case may be,” he said.
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