DEPARTMENT OF DATA AND INFORMATION SCIENCE (DDIS)

 (Formerly Africa Regional Centre for Information Science (ARCIS) 

ARCIS was founded in November 1990 through the efforts and approvals of UNESCO, Canada’s IDRC, the University of Ibadan, Federal Government of Nigeria with the mandate to support the socio-economic development of English-speaking African countries through training of high-level human resources, research and consultancy services in information science, systems and services. 

ARCIS began its work as a centre in the Faculty of Education of the University of Ibadan but became an autonomous institute of the university in 2000. ARCIS began with its full-time academic Master of Information Science (M.Inf.Sc) programme in 1991, followed by M.Phil., and PhD programmes in information science. The part-time professional Master of Information Resources Management (MIRM) began in 2013.

ARCIS transitioned to a full-fledged department in 2020 and the new department is named the Department of Data and Information Sciences (DDIS). DDIS is under the Faculty of Multidisciplinary Studies, a new faculty created by the university to provide a host to existing multidisciplinary programmes.

DDIS has produced more than 1000 graduates from its various higher degree programmes, as well as more than 2500 trained middle-level human resources through its local, national and West African regional workshops.  DDIS higher-degree graduates work in various organisations in Nigeria, other African countries and developed countries.   

Vision

To become a global frontline centre of excellence for human resource development, research, and service delivery in information science and technology.

Strategic Objectives

• Train and retrain high-level personnel for Africa in information science, essentially through seminars, workshops and higher degree programmes. The products will constitute leaders in the practice of information science, as well as become trainers of information services personnel at lower-levels;
• Inculcate the spirit of service in all academic and technical staff of DDIS, and its students and graduates, especially in regard to the information services components of Research and Development (R&D) programmes in Africa;
• Engage in problem-resolution research into all aspects of information services in Africa;
• Serve as a platform and network organisation for consultants in the application of information science, information management and information policy management to African organisations in the public and private sectors
• Provide necessary expertise in the establishment, updating and application of appropriate standards for the construction, maintenance and effective utilisation of manual and computerised databanks of Africa as a whole and ECOWAS Member States in particular.

Programmes

• Master of Information Science (M.Inf.Sc) (Full-time 3-semester academic programme)
• Master of Information Resource Management (MIRM) (Part-time, 5-semester professional programme)
• M.Phil. and PhD. specialising in the following areas: Quantitative and Qualitative Techniques, Behavioural Issues in Information Science, Organisation and Retrieval of Information, Knowledge Management, Economics of Information, Politics of Information, Information Systems, Social Informatics, Internet Technology, Speech and Language Technology, and Informetrics.
• Efforts are on to develop curricula for a Bachelor of Information Science programme and Master in Data Analytics. 
• Local, National and Regional Workshops/Training Programmes
• International Conferences and Seminars
• Research and Consultancy in Information Systems and Services

Some Funded/Supported Initiatives

• Journal of Information Science, Systems and Technology (JISST)
• Society for Information Science and Technology in Nigeria (SISTN)
• ARCIS Alumni Association

For Further information: Contact the Head of Department, Department of Data and Information Science, 6 Benue Road, University of Ibadan, P. O. Box 22133, UIPO, Ibadan, Nigeria.