Effective information provision to rural dwellers in the era of economic recession in Nigeria: lessons from Osun State Public Library and NLA

Abstract

Rural dwellers in Nigeria make up the larger proportion of the people whose information needs are not sufficiently met even though they contribute meaningfully to national development. The failure of the Nigerian public libraries to effectively perform its roles as a local gate way to knowledge and the layman’s university has adversely affected effective information provision to the citizens, especially those at the grass root resulting in adverse poverty in the land. The paper thus examines effective information provision to rural dwellers as a panacea for economic recession and poverty alleviation in Nigeria. This opinion paper employ secondary sources of information gathering and a practical approach to poverty alleviation in some rural communities in Osun State by the Osun State Nigerian Library Association. The write up discussed factors which made the attainment of the lofty aims and objectives of the UNESCO Manifesto unrealizable by public libraries in Nigeria. This in turn has resulted in acute poverty, ignorance, illiteracy and lack of access to basic needs such as water, food, education, healthcare, sanitation, security etc. among the rural dwellers. As recommended, public librarians should create a clear vision of their values in their capacity to provide effective quality services to rural dwellers through awareness campaign, orientation of rural dwellers on the use of alternatives means of lively hood, mobile library services, provision of community services by the NLA, increased budgetary allocation and provision of social and economic amenities for the rural dwellers.

Keywords: Effective Information Provision, Rural Dwellers, Economic Recession, Poverty alleviation, Public Libraries