Digital Timeliness and Sustained Productivity: Modernising Registry Performance Metrics in Nigerian Universities

This study redefines administrative effectiveness within Nigerian university registries by challenging long standing reliance on attendance-based evaluation. Guided by Institutional Theory and the Digital Transformation Framework, it reconceptualises punctuality as digital timeliness and regularity as sustained productivity performance metrics better suited to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) driven administration. Data were obtained from 596 registry personnel across seven South-South universities, complemented by qualitative interviews. Quantitative analysis revealed strong correlations between punctuality, regularity, and administrative effectiveness, while qualitative evidence showed that these relationships weaken when evaluation focuses on attendance rather than deliverables. Registries that adopted digital timelines, task-tracking systems, and remote coordination sustained operations during disruptions, whereas those dependent on physical presence experienced administrative breakdowns. The study advances the concept of transformational compliance, which integrates institutional discipline with measurable digital performance. It also proposes a four-pillar performance model Output-Based (OB) Indicators, Digital Competence, Responsiveness, and Adaptability to guide sustainable reform. By combining Institutional and Digital Transformation perspectives, the study demonstrates that legitimacy in university administration now depends on the capacity to merge traditional discipline with technology driven accountability. Embedding digital timeliness and sustained productivity into daily registry practice will enhance transparency, resilience, and innovation across Nigerian higher education.