Records Management Practices in Technical Colleges and Their Impact on Academic Administration in Oyo State

This study investigates records management practices in technical colleges in Oyo State, South West Nigeria and their impact on academic administration efficiency. Effective records management is foundational to institutional governance, enabling accurate student tracking, programme evaluation, staff management, and regulatory compliance. In many technical colleges, poor records systems lead to academic data loss, delayed transcripts, and challenges with accreditation processes. A descriptive survey design is employed, engaging 50 academic registrars, records officers, and institutional administrators from eight technical colleges in Ibadan, Ogbomoso, and Oyo local government areas. A records management audit checklist and administrator questionnaire assess the state of physical and digital record-keeping systems. Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis examine the relationship between records management quality and administrative outcomes. Findings are expected to reveal predominantly manual and poorly organised record-keeping systems, with significant risks of data loss and limited audit trails. The study also examines the role of ICT investment in records modernisation. Recommendations include mandatory records management training for administrative staff, transition to digital student information management systems, and records management policy development at the institutional level. This study contributes to academic administration research in South West Nigerian technical education and offers a practical records management improvement framework for technical colleges seeking to enhance institutional governance. Keywords: records management, academic administration, technical colleges, Oyo State, institutional governance