Electronic Records Management and Organisational Accountability in the Federal Civil Service: An Empirical Analysis

This study empirically examines the relationship between electronic records management (ERM) adoption and organisational accountability in Nigeria's Federal Civil Service. Accountability in public administration depends critically on the ability to document decisions, trace actions, and provide evidence of compliance, functions that ERM systems are designed to support. Existing research has established broad correlations between digitisation and accountability, but empirical work specifically addressing the Federal Civil Service context in Nigeria remains sparse. The study adopts a quantitative survey approach, targeting records managers, internal auditors, and administrative directors in fifteen federal ministries and extra-ministerial departments. A validated ERM adoption scale and an accountability outcomes instrument are administered to 310 respondents, and data are analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The Information Accountability Framework and the Principal-Agent Theory provide the theoretical grounding, with literature from 2020 to 2024 supporting the analytical framework. Specific accountability dimensions examined include audit trail completeness, decision documentation reliability, and FOI request fulfilment rates. The study fills a significant empirical gap by producing sector-specific accountability metrics linked to ERM capability levels. Recommendations target the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and the National Archives. Keywords: electronic records management, accountability, federal civil service, Nigeria, structural equation modelling