NIGERIAN LIBRARIES IN PRE-COLONIAL ERA
NIGERIAN LIBRARIES IN PRE-COLONIAL ERA
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2015-02-10
Authors
Bello, Nassir
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
The history of library development in Nigeria is causing
great concern for those wanting to know the real or gift of it
Librarians and historians writing about Nigeria particularly
in the area of library scene tend to omit many important
facts. Several authors writing about library history in
Nigeria attempted to put the picture in the dark by writing
only about library activity which started recently around
1920 or 1930. Many writers preferred to relate the history
of library in Nigerian with the coming of the White man.
This paper attempts to shed light to this distortion of
history. It tries to show that libraries existed in some
parts of the country particularly in the North before Nigeria
itself became a geographical entity. At the turn of 18th
century and early 19th century, libraries were well scattered
throughout the North. At a stage Dan Fodio the founder of
19th century Sokoto empire had to cry out one time for the
failure of return of his books borrowed. He considered it as
bad habit for people to borrow books from Ulamai and fail to
return them. By this, it is evidently clear that Dan Fodio's
statement supported the belief that libraries were known in
this part of the country as early as 18th century and before.
The importance of libraries to a nation's economic and
technological advancement cannot be over emphasized.
Libraries play an enviable role in promoting educational
advancement and in preserving cultural heritage of a nation.
They help to give enlightenment and information to the
citi2enry. Without any doubt, libraries are intellectual
repositories of a nation.
Description
Keywords
NIGERIAN,, LIBRARIES,, PRE-COLONIAL,, ERA,