Nigerian Periodicals Index. (NPI) Edited by B. U. Nwafor. Jos: Committee of University Librarians of Nigerian Universities, v. 1, nos. I and 2, 1986– . Semiannual. ISSN 0794–6406. US$30.00 per volume.
Producing an index of periodicals published in Nigeria is a very difficult task, considering the fact the Nigerian journals are irregular, short–lived, and unreliable. They come out too late, and many die after the first issue. The Committee of University Librarians of Nigerian Universities (CULNU) should be congratulated for taking the bold step of producing this index. The first number covers 165 issues of 62 journals from the period 1972–1985. The second number covers 174 issues of 65 journals from the period 1972–1986. Each of the numbers covers portions of the runs of the same journals, so the two numbers have to be used together to get the best coverage of the period from 1972. Many unindexed gaps remain in the years covered.
NPI is arranged by author and subject in one sequence, following the filing rules of the American Library Association. Subject headings for most entries are those of the Library of Congress, but Medical Subject Headings is the source of subject entries for medically related topics.
Indexers from various universities have contributed the indexing for specific periodicals, with the name of each university given for its journal titles. The layout of NPI conforms to international standards. There are entries for book reviews and film reviews. See and see also references are used to guide the user to joint authors and appropriate subject headings.
While the exact number of periodical titles published in Nigeria cannot be ascertained, the Nigerian Centre for ISDS has registered over 2,000 titles since 1976. One may therefore question the criteria used by the NPI publisher in selecting 65 titles to index. The only principle of selection given is to cover scholarly journals of Nigeria; but many titles in that category are not included.
Productions of this kind are very expensive, and one hopes that CULNU will be able to sustain the venture. Other journals could be added, and in time the index could be subdivided by topic, to create for example a Nigerian Engineering Index or Nigerian Humanities Index.
NPI is the invaluable document of an ambitious effort. It offers researchers in Nigeria the opportunity of looking at the scholarship of their own nation. This has become necessary, as well as desirable, since most Nigerian libraries are no longer able to purchase foreign subscriptions.
These are the periodicals covered (partially) in the first two numbers: Abacus, African Business Review, African Journal of Academic Librarianship, African Technical Review, Aman, Bendel Library Journal, Calabar Historical Journal, Discourses of the Nigerian Academy of Science, Dokita, ICAN Journal, Ife Journal of Agriculture, Ife Social Science Review, IITA Research Briefs, Ikenga, Ikoro, Journal of Animal Production Research, Journal of Leather Research, Journal of the Nigerian Educational Research Association, Journal of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers, Lagos Librarian, Library Scientist, Library Waves, NAPRI Bulletin, Nigerbiblios, Nigeria Bulletin, Nigerian Agricultural Journal, Nigerian Engineer, Nigerian Forum, Nigerian Geographical Journal, Nigerian Islamic Review, Nigerian Journal of Administrative Science, Nigerian Journal of Agricultural Sciences, Nigerian Journal of Animal Production, Nigerian Journal of Biochemistry, Nigerian Journal of Development Studies, Nigerian Journal of Economic and Social Studies, Nigerian Journal of Engineering, Nigerian Journal of Engineering Technology, Nigerian Journal of Forestry, Nigerian Journal of International Affairs, Nigerian Journal of Microbiology, Nigerian Journal of Natural Sciences, Nigerian Journal of Nutritional Sciences, Nigerian Journal of Paediatrics, Nigerian Journal of Political Economy, Nigerian Journal of Psychological Research, Nigerian Journal of Science, Nigerian Journal of Science and Technology, Nigerian Law Journal, Nigerian Libraries, Nigerian Library and Information Science Review, Nigerian Medical Journal, Nigerian Medical Practitioner, Nigerian Review, NIIA Lecture Series, NIIA Monographic Series, NIIA Seminar Series, PRODA Technical Report, Public Servant, Radiance, Tropical Grain Legume Bulletin, Tropical Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Uche, West African Journal of Medicine, West African Religion.
Maxwell A. Oyinloye is Serials Librarian, Lagos State University Library, Lagos, Nigeria; he also teaches use of the library. He has a B.S. in physics from Usman Dan–Fodio University, Sokoto, Nigeria, and an M.L.S. from the University of Ibadan. His professional interests include library automation and international/comparative librarianship.