The Role of Digital Competence in Mitigating Administrative Challenges among Office Secretaries in Universities in Akwa-Ibom State

Abstract

In today’s rapidly evolving digital system, university administration increasingly relies on the digital competence of office secretaries to overcome a wide range of administrative challenges. This study investigates the role of digital competence in mitigating administrative challenges among office secretaries in universities in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, focusing on the University of Uyo and Akwa Ibom State University. Grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Digital Competence Framework, the study adopted a descriptive survey design. A total of 103 secretaries were selected from a population of 139 using the Taro Yamane formula. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire titled “Questionnaire on Digital Competence in Mitigating Administrative Challenges among Office Managers (QDCMACOM)” and analyzed using descriptive statistics and t-tests at a 0.05 significance level. Findings revealed that secretaries across both institutions required core digital skills—such as computer operations, email and database management, digital record keeping, and cybersecurity awareness—to effectively handle administrative tasks. The results also showed that digital competence significantly contributed to the mitigation of data glitches, ICT and data security/confidentiality breaches. Although mean scores varied slightly between the two universities, inferential analysis revealed no statistically significant difference in responses, indicating a uniform level of digital competence and shared challenges across the institutions. The study concludes that digital competence is vital for enhancing administrative efficiency, ensuring data integrity, and safeguarding sensitive institutional information. It recommends that universities should prioritize ICT training, strengthen digital infrastructure, and implement continuous digital literacy evaluation for secretarial staff to improve service delivery and operational effectiveness.