Department of Information Studies Holds Public Lecture to Commemorate 70th Anniversary of University of Ghana

Mrs. Judith Opoku-Boateng

Mrs. Judith Opoku-Boateng, Archivist at the Institute of African Studies has presented a lecture on “The Roles of Archives in Nation Building, 70 years of University of Ghana’s Role in Unifying Cultures”, as part of activities by the Department of Information Studies to commemorate the University’s 70th anniversary.

Mrs. Opoku-Boateng, who was a student of the Department of Information Studies, explained that archives are places where public records or historical materials (such as documents) are preserved for several useful purposes.  The J. H. Nketiah Archives had a general stock of over twenty thousand (20,000) materials which includes manuscripts, working papers, ephemeral collections, funeral brochures as well as video and audio files.

The audience were entertained by Mr. Osei Kwame Korankye, a Seperewa Instructor at the Institute of African Studies

Emeritus Professor J. H. Kwabena Nketiah

Mrs. Opoku-Boateng detailed developments over the years at the J.H. Nketiah Archives, including its journey from analogue to digital archives, and its implications for teaching, learning and research at the University. She also spoke about strategies to make the archives richer. Mrs. Opoku-Boateng used the occasion to invite the University community and the general public to approach officials of the Archives with any information such as historic videos, photographs or publications for preservation.

During the presentation, Mrs. Opoku-Boateng displayed collections of photographs and videos of various events that had been gathered and preserved at the archives. The collections included enstoolment and enskinment of traditional rulers, cultural dances and historic events as well as a recording of the inauguration of the University College of the Gold Coast, on August 11, 1948.

Mrs. Opoku-Boateng emphasized the need for Ghanaians and other Africans to preserve their own culture and artifacts, rather than entrusting them to others, stressing ‘Tete w bi ka’ (the past has something in store for the future).

 

Question and answer time

Dr. Emmanuel Adjei, Head of the Department of Information Studies, delivered the welcome address. In his closing remarks, the Chairperson for the lecture Mr. Romeo Bugyei, Chief Executive Officer of IT Consortium and a member of the School Management Committee lauded the J.H. Nketiah Archives for doing a good job as custodian of very valuable information, and congratulated Emeritus Professor J.H. Nketiah for his works and achievements in unifying and preserving Ghanaian cultures. He encouraged the J.H. Nketiah Archives to keep abreast with IT developments in order to find the best ways of preserving relevant material.

Dr. Emmanuel Adjei giving the welcome address

Mr. Romeo Bugyei

A cross section of the audience at the lecture

Information concerning projects being undertaken by the J.H. Nketiah archives could be found online at www.apexghana.org