SISTN Rationale
The Society for Information Science and Technology of Nigeria (SISTN), is registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission of Nigeria as a non-profit and all-embracing Professional Society for all Information Science and Technology professionals in Nigeria and the world.
The Information Science and Technology sector is very expansive, interconnecting very diverse information activities, occupation, professions and industries that focus on research, development, training and practice in the efficient creation and use of information and the tools for creating, processing and using information. The Information Science and Technology also interconnects with the research and practice aspects of the following disciplines and fields, among many related others: Archives Studies/Management, Communication Arts/Science, Computer Science, Information Management, Information Science, Information Services, Information Systems, Information Technology, Innovation Management, Library Management, Library Science, Media Science, Media Studies, Records Management, Research and Development Management, Scientific and Technical Information, Telecommunications. Some of the above disciplines are multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary or meta-disciplinary. In particular, the multidisciplinary fields of Information Science and Information Technology seek to harness, synthesize and apply ideas from virtually all other disciplines into the science, development and use information and information technologies.
The establishment of the Africa Regional Centre for Information Science (ARCIS) at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria in 1990 through the collaborative initiatives and activities of the University, UNESCO and Canada’s IDRC effectively pioneered postgraduate training in information science in Nigeria and the West Africa sub-region. Information Science as a field of study and professional practice was virtually unknown in African countries at the time, until ARCIS was established to serve as a centre of excellence for the training and retraining of high-level human resources in information science, information systems and information management (distinct from computer science and library and archive studies) the for the English-speaking countries of the West Africa sub-region.
The need for a Professional Society for trained and practising information scientists and professionals in academia, public services and industry as a platform to promote the popularisation and rapid development of the Information Science and Technology occupations, professions and careers in Nigeria was keen felt right from when ARCIS began operation. But a number of challenges prevented action on the need. ARCIS has since trained more than 2,500 high-level human resources through its higher degree academic and professional degree programmes alone, not to talk of the exponentially growing number of graduates of bachelor’s and master’s degree, higher national diploma and high level industry certification programmes in the Information Science and Technology sector in Nigeria and elsewhere currently working in the sector in the country.
SISTN seeks to promote the development of Information Science and Technology education and professional practice in Nigeria, as well as the education, career development and welfare of its members.
SISTN is the culmination of more than five years of efforts by the ARCIS academic staff and alumni to initiate and develop a Professional Society whose membership comprises professionals from all Information Science and Technology sectors and disciplines in Nigeria and around the world. SISTN will be formally inaugurated during the 25-year anniversary of ARCIS in November 2015.
SISTN is currently hosted online through ARCIS domain name, and physically at the ARCIS premises at the University of Ibadan. ARCIS as an institution, and its staff and alumni serving as the pioneering SISTN officials, will be responsible for the promotion and development of SISTN in its first three years until SISTN is able to generate income to finance its operational activities and strategic projects.