INFORMATION SERVICES IN PRE-COLONIAL HAUSALAND
INFORMATION SERVICES IN PRE-COLONIAL HAUSALAND
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Date
1986-11
Authors
SULEIMAN, Muhammad Abubakar
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Abstract
Information services are considered to be a
sine-qua-non for the proper o r i e n t a t i o n and guidance
of every society. The l e v e l of s o p h i s t i c a t i o n of
any society, and the nature of i t s development are
l a r g e l y determined by the a v a i l a b i l i t y of information
channels-. These are what must be employed for
e f f e c t i v e t r a n s f e r and diffusion of information and
knowledge which is to be rapidly u t i l i s e d for
d i f f e r i n g needs and purposes Specifically, the
purpose of t h i s study is to t r a c e the n a t u r e,
methodology, r a t i o n a l e and philosophy of information
s e r v i c e s pursued in Pre-Colonial Hausaland. As a
b a s i c facet of human development and growth,
information services are indispensable to the
survival of the people. The c r u c i a l role played by
information services in the transformation of the
s o c i a l , p o l i t i c a l , c u l t u r a l , economic and r e l i g i o us
o r i e n t a t i o n and guidance of a society is important
enough to j u s t i f y the a s s e r t i o n t h a t the
accumulation, preservation, recording and
dissemination of information had been an established
s o c i e t a l i n s t i t u t i o n of c e n t r a l importance in
Pre-Colonial Hausaland in p a r t i c u l a r and any society
at l a r g e . Thus, the study seeks to throw ample
l i g h t on the s o c i o - c u l t u r a l i n t e r a c t i o n and
communication systems and t h e i r u n d e r - c u r r e n t s.
Information services in Pre-Colonial Hausaland
were to achieve the following major o b j e c t i v e s : -( i ) To pinpoint and highlight the fundamental
changes that were achieved as a r e s u l t of
the modifications of the information
structure. This was to reflect societal
needs, global requirements and standard.
( i i ) To determine whether the information system
evolved in Hausaland took care of the
actual information needs of the society.
( i i i ) To determine the extent to which t h is
system helped the socio-economic
development of the people.
(iv) To guide administrators, policy-makers,
educational planners and researchers in
defining the information needs and the
inevitable formulation of appropriate
national information policy.
Consequently, different media, techniques and
apparatuses employed for the transmission of
information in Pre-Colonial Hausaland reflecting
differing orientation and emphasis are identified.
Also, various ways and means through which information
service was disseminated to different categories,
level and group of people in the area are highlighted.
The effectiveness and adequacy of the information
service designed for the area is fully assessed.
The study discovers the extent of information
service engaged at different levels, apparatuses
used and areas of constraints in the smooth flow of
information.
The study further evaluates and analyses the
effectiveness of the service in relation to
particular societal needs, norms and values.
The study r e f l e c t s on current trends in the
provision of information service which is highly
secularised as a result of cultural dependence and
the inevitable media imperialism1.
The previous knowledge of the strategies,
merits and virtues of the Pre-Colonial Hausaland
information service are seen as the only remedy to
the drawbacks and deficiencies in the current
information service. It is envisaged that these
resolutions, conclusion and findings with
far-reaching effects would hopefully contribute to
the better understanding, advancement and
re-appraisal of the dynamics of information and
help to re-construct the true nature of information
service.
Description
A thesis submitted to the Post-Graduate School,
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in p a r t i al
fulfilment of the requirements for the award of
Master's Degree in Library Science (M.L.S.)
Keywords
INFORMATION SERVICES,, PRE-COLONIAL HAUSALAND