NATIONAL ARCHIVES ACT

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NATIONAL ARCHIVES ACT

CHAPTER N6 LAWS OF THE FEDERATION OF NIGERIA, L.F.N. 2004

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ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

PART I –Establishment of the National Archives, etc.

1.     Establishment and general functions of the National Archives of Nigeria.

2.     Appointment and functions of the Director, etc.

PART II – Preservation and management of public records

3.     Responsibilities for records management.

4.     Prohibitions.

5.     Designation of departmental records management officer.

6.     Power of Director to examine public records.

7.     Operation of records centres.

8.     Assessment of practices in public offices.

9.     Reports on condition of public records.

10.    Training of departmental records management staff, etc.

11.    Authority of the secretary to the Government of the Federation, etc., not impugned.

12.    Criteria for the selection of public records for permanent preservation.

13.    Responsibility for records transfer.

14.    Power of Director to requisition public records in peril.

15.    Transfer of records of defunct offices.

16.    Preservation of constitutional and legal documents.

17.    Statutory deli very of official publications.

18.    Deferment of records transfer.

19.    Return of records to public offices.

20.    Declaration of places of deposit.

21.    Power of Director over places of deposit.

22.    Return of public archives removed illegally.

23.    Repatriation of migrated archives.

24.    Acquisition of the records of the President.

25.    Disposal of non-archival public records in the National Archives.

26.    Power to dispose of private archives restricted.

27.    Access of the public to the National Archives.

28.    Powers of the Director on access to archives.

29.    Reproduction and publication of archives.

30.    Legal validity of public records.

31.    Authentication of copies and seal as evidence of such copies.

32.    Reconstruction of public archives.

Preservation of State Archives

33.    Establishment, etc., of State Archives by the State Government.

PART III – Preservation and management of records of private bodies, individuals and companies

Management of private records and historical manuscripts

34.    Power to inspect private records.

35.    Register of non-current records, etc.

36.    Responsibilities of the owners of private archives.

37.    Restrictions on disposal, transfer or sale of private archives.

38.    Exportation of private archives prohibited.

39.    Responsibilities of Director over private archives.

40.    Voluntary deposit of private archives in the National Archives.

41.    Compulsory transfer of private archives to National Archives.

42.    Records of banned parties to be transferred to National Archives.

43.    Acquisition of records by gift or purchase.

44.    Collection of oral traditions and oral history and register for oral traditions and oral history.

Preservation and management of company records

45.    Establishment of archives by business houses or companies.

46.    Compulsory transfer of business records.

PART IV – Miscellaneous

47.    Appointment of the National Archives Advisory Council.

48.    Functions of the Council.

Power of the Minister to make regulations

49.    Regulations.

Offences and penalties

50.    Restriction on the exportation of oral traditions, etc.

51.    Removal and destruction of archives prohibited.

Interpretation and citation

52.    Interpretation.

53.    Short title.

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NATIONAL ARCHIVES ACT 

An Act to provide for the establishment of a National Archives for the permanent custody, care and control of all archives of the Federal Government and for matters connected therewith.

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[Commencement.] [8th July, 1992]            

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PART I – Establishment of the National Archives, etc., of Nigeria

1.      Establishment and general functions of the National Archives of Nigeria

(1)    There is hereby established a Federal Department to be called the National Archives of Nigeria (in this Act referred to as “the National Archives”) which shall be entrusted with the permanent custody, care and control of all archives of the Federal Government and of such other archives or historical records as may be acquired, from time to time, pursuant to this Act.

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