Official Letter of Commendation Recognised the Publications as a Contribution to Nigeria’s Intellectual, Economic and Socio-Political Development
ABUJA, NIGERIA — 20 March 2006 — The National Library of Nigeria formally commended Nigerian publisher and editor Frank Ikegwuonu in connection with the Who’s Who series of publications in Nigeria, recognising the publications as a positive contribution to the nation’s intellectual output as well as its economic and socio-political development.
The recognition is contained in a formal Letter of Commendation dated 20 March 2006, issued from the Office of the Director/Chief Executive Officer of the National Library of Nigeria.
The letter was addressed to:
Mr. Frank Ikegwuonu
The Editor-in-Chief
WHO’S WHO IN NIGERIA ENTERTAINMENT-
and was sent through the National Film and Video Censors Board in Abuja.
National Library Expressed Its Association with the Who’s Who Series
The National Library of Nigeria stated in the correspondence that it was:
“pleased to be associated with the Who’s Who series of publications in Nigeria.”
This is significant because the statement comes from Nigeria’s national library institution and directly connects Frank Ikegwuonu with a series of publications intended to document people and activities within Nigeria’s entertainment and cultural landscape.
The letter therefore provides a contemporary institutional record of the publication project during its early development in the mid-2000s.
Recognition of the Publications’ Wider National Contribution
The National Library’s commendation went beyond the entertainment sector.
The institution described the publications as: “a very positive contribution” to the intellectual output of the nation.
It further stated that the publications contributed not only to Nigeria’s intellectual development but also to the country’s: economic growth, and socio-political growth.
This assessment is particularly significant because it places the Who’s Who publication initiative within a wider national-development context rather than viewing it solely as an entertainment-industry directory.
Documentation and Preservation of Nigeria’s Creative Sector
The National Library’s response is especially relevant to the historical importance of documenting Nigeria’s entertainment sector.
Reference publications that identify and preserve information about professionals and personalities can provide future researchers with information about industries, institutions and individuals during particular periods of national development.
The National Library’s statement that the Who’s Who publications contributed to the nation’s intellectual output provides contemporary institutional recognition of this documentary function.
Part of a Wider Pattern of Institutional Recognition
The National Library correspondence forms part of a growing collection of official documents associated with Frank Ikegwuonu’s publishing and editorial work in the Nigerian entertainment sector during the 2000s.
Other documents from the period include:
- the National Film and Video Censors Board‘s October 2005 endorsement of Who’s Who in Nigeria Entertainment Industry;
- the House of Representatives Committee on Information‘s February 2006 recommendation of the entertainment encyclopedia;
- the Nigerian Television Authority‘s March 2006 support for the publication;
- and the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation‘s June 2006 official comment and commendation.
The National Library’s letter adds an important library, information-preservation and intellectual-documentation dimension to this historical record.
Preserving the Original Document
The original signed Letter of Commendation, dated 20 March 2006, issued by the National Library of Nigeria, is preserved among the historical records associated with Frank Ikegwuonu and The Nelas Academy.
The original correspondence is not being reproduced publicly with this article. It may be made available for legitimate academic, journalistic, institutional, historical or documentary verification upon appropriate request.
