LEVERAGING ICT AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN STUDENT RECORDS MANAGEMENT IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES

Abstract

This study focuses on the role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in student records management in Nigerian Universities. Student records are critical to the admission and registration process, to course enrolment, for the processing of examinations, to academic progression and graduation, to the production of student transcripts, to institutional decision making, and beyond. But in a lot of Nigerian universities, records retrieval, storage of files, loss of files, duplication of records, inaccurate data entry, lack of reliable electronic system of access etc., continue to plague many universities in Nigeria. A qualitative Integrative Review Method was used in the study, which involved a literature review on relevant research on the use of ICT in electronic records management, education management information systems and emerging applications of AI in higher education. The review demonstrates how ICT tools such as databases, student-information systems, online portals, cloud storage, scanning technologies and electronic document-management tools can enhance the rapidity, accuracy, security and accessibility of student records as well as their preservation. AI can also assist with intelligent document classification, optical character recognition, duplicate-record detection, automated enquiries, and anomaly identification and predictive academic analysis. However, these technologies are currently limited by low levels of funding, unreliable electricity, poor internet connectivity, dated equipment, lack of employee training, low levels of interoperability, and a lack of organizational readiness or concerns about cybersecurity. The study also found that it is not just a matter of providing hardware and software to enable successful technology-driven records management. It requires institutional commitment, skilled personnel, reliable infrastructure, data-governance policies, interoperability, regular maintenance, cybersecurity safeguards and compliance with data-protection requirements. The paper makes a number of recommendations, including the creation of integrated student-information systems, ongoing training for registry and ICT staff, the implementation of unique student identifiers, the systematic digitisation of paper records, and the careful and supervised use of AI.