CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.0 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The practice of keeping record is as old as civilization itself we would know little about civilization and ancient kingdoms but for the fact that records of Archaeologicla evidence of written record the discovery of the manuscript of the Hebrew torah in the temple is good example form biblical times. The Romans Emperor Justine (527-565 AD) has been quoted as issuing a decree to this governors in every province to set apart a public building to store their ecordsa. As a matter of fact, the measure of a nations civilization has always been judged by the pride. It place on its written records which from the raw materials of it history many individual does not know the important of preserving records of the past history until when hey are in need of it, this behavior is not peculiar to Nigeria alone but has prevalled in every country where people have not been in the habit of taking adequate care of their records, despite this archival centers have sprang up. Where ever it is realized that to destroy record is to destroy the very source form which reliable history could be written.
Archives have been defined as those records of any public private institution which are adjudged worthy of permanent preservation for reference and research purposes and which have been deposited or have been selected for deposit in an archival institution, Archives is also repository for an organized body of records produced or received by a public, semi-public institutional or business entity. In the transaction of its affairs and preserved by it or its successors. People some times refer to Archival institution “As Archives”. The institution and Administration of Archives may be traced from autiquity Archives and Archival administration as they are understood today, dates from the French revolution. The establishment of the Archives departmentales in 1796 and Archives National in 1989, there was for the first time a unified Administratiion of Archives that embarked in existent repositories and records producing public agencies, they are responsible for the care of its documentary heritage. Another result was the principle of accessibility of Archives to the public. The united Nations and the several international organizations maintain Archives. The international council on Archives was founded in 1948 by professional Archivists. Meeting Paris under the help of UNESCO. Membership is open to all professional Archivists and to representative of:- 1. Central Archival directorates or administration. 2. National and international regional association of Archivists. 3. All Archival institution.