Online Journal of Arts, Management and Social Sciences (OJAMSS); Vol.2 No.3, October 2017, pg.82 - 93 (ISSN: 2276 – 9013) 82 ASSESSMENT OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY SKILLS NEEDED BY SECRETARIES IN COLLEGES OF EDUCATION IN NORTH WEST NIGERIA FOR EFFECTIVE WORK PERFORMANCE EZEONWURIE, OLUFUNKE ABIOLA Business Education Department Federal College of Education, Bichi, Kano State +2348142106592 Abstract Modern office activities have gone beyond typewriting and note taking. As a result, there is need for secretaries to possess various computer-based applications competences for effective work performance The study assessed the computer skills needed by secretaries in colleges of education in north west Nigeria for effective work performance. The study adopted the descriptive survey design. Six research questions were raised to guide the study and two null hypotheses was tested at 0.05 level of significance. The entire population of 252 supervisors of secretaries in colleges of education in North west Nigeria was used for the study. The findings of the study revealed that secretaries in colleges of education in Nigeria required requisite computer skills for effective work performance. Conclusions were drawn and it was recommended amongst others, that secretaries in colleges of education should attend periodic training and retraining programmes on professional competencies in order to have current knowledge and competencies to utilize and manage new office technologies in their work places. Key words: Assessment, Information and Communication technology, Secretaries, Performance. Introduction The office today is dynamic and challenging. The advances in office technology and information systems have greatly transformed the role and functions of the secretary in both public and private organizations in the 21 st century. The system of office information generation, acquisition, processing, storage, dissemination and even the business environment all over the world have witnessed tremendous changes in its traditional methods and practices. Secretaries fall among office personnel who have come face-to-face with the challenges of the new technologies. In the context of traditional office system, a secretary was responsible for performing the routine jobs of typing various documents such as letters, memos, reports and manuscripts, taking notes in shorthand and transcribing same with the typewriter. Today, progressive organizations are steadily moving into the era of paperless office which is characterized by the use of computers and their networks especially the internet. In modern offices, emphasis is now being placed on skills in digital business transactions.