article · Lincoln (University of Nebraska)
A survey of 82 respondents across six libraries in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria reveals that indigenous knowledge plays a vital role in everyday life. Local communities rely on this knowledge to improve agricultural production, acquire education and basic skills, conserve their natural environment, and resolve conflicts. Despite its value, regional libraries currently fail to manage indigenous knowledge resources effectively. To preserve these vital assets and improve accessibility, libraries must collaborate directly with indigenous populations to record and store their knowledge. Suggested dissemination channels include television and radio broadcasts, internet repositories, physical exhibitions, and mobile library services, enabling wider access to valuable community-held insights across the region.
Indigenous knowledge supports critical local systems, from food production to peaceful dispute resolution. When cultural institutions neglect these resources, valuable community practices risk disappearing. Ensuring libraries properly document and share traditional methods helps safeguard environmental and agricultural practices, making essential communal insights accessible to future generations.
The abstract does not indicate a direct commercialisation pathway, focusing instead on public library operations and cultural preservation. Potential real-world deployment relates to content delivery, where educational media producers, broadcasters, and digital archive developers could partner with public libraries to distribute recorded knowledge via broadcasting and internet platforms. This work reflects early-stage institutional recommendations rather than a market-ready product.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
This paper examines the role of libraries in the preservation and accessibility of the indigenous knowledge in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The survey method was used for the study and data were collected with the questionnaire from 82 respondents drawn from six libraries in the region. Niger Delta people use indigenous knowledge to improve agricultural production, acquire education and basic skills, conserve their natural environment, and resolve conflicts. Libraries in the Niger Delta region do not manage indigenous knowledge resources effectively. To preserve and make indigenous knowledge accessible, libraries should collaborate with indigenous people to record indigenous knowledge, store it, and make it available through television and radio broadcast, the Internet, exhibits, or mobile library services.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
