The Association of University Librarians of Nigerian Universities (AULNU) has raised concerns over the growing proliferation of predatory journals, misinformation, and unethical publishing practices associated with the increasing adoption of open access publishing across Nigerian universities.
The association sounded the alarm in a communiqué issued at the end of its 114th Bi-Annual Conference and General Meeting held at the National Universities Commission (NUC), Abuja, from May 4 to 7, 2026.
The conference, themed “Managing University Libraries in the Era of Open Access Publishing: The Role of Librarians,” brought together university librarians, scholars, policymakers, development partners, and other stakeholders to deliberate on the future of academic libraries within Nigeria’s rapidly evolving global knowledge ecosystem.
While acknowledging that open access publishing has significantly democratised knowledge dissemination, improved research visibility, and strengthened global scholarly communication, participants warned that the rapid expansion of open access models has also created opportunities for abuse.
According to the communiqué, participants expressed concern over “the proliferation of predatory journals, misinformation, unethical publishing practices, and the improper deployment of artificial intelligence in scholarly communication.”
The association noted that university libraries are increasingly transitioning from their traditional custodial roles into strategic knowledge facilitation centres responsible for research dissemination, institutional repository management, digital preservation, and scholarly communication support.
It stressed that modern academic libraries must embrace innovation, digital transformation, open science, collaborative research ecosystems, and AI-enabled service delivery to remain relevant in the emerging knowledge economy.
Despite the opportunities presented by open access publishing, AULNU identified several structural challenges slowing implementation across Nigerian universities, including poor information and communication technology infrastructure, unstable electricity supply, inadequate funding, low digital literacy, weak institutional policies, limited awareness, and insufficient support for article processing charges.
The association also expressed displeasure over the appointment of non-professionally qualified individuals as university librarians and heads of academic libraries, insisting that only certified librarians registered with the Librarians Registration Council of Nigeria should occupy such positions.
It warned that appointing unqualified persons undermines professionalism, institutional standards, and the effective administration of academic libraries.
AULNU called on the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and relevant government agencies to strengthen support for digital repositories, broadband connectivity, open access infrastructure, and sustainable scholarly communication systems across tertiary institutions.
The association further urged Nigerian universities to formulate clear institutional policies promoting responsible scholarly communication, research integrity, and the ethical use of artificial intelligence in academic research and publishing.
Participants also resolved to deepen collaboration among Nigerian university libraries through the establishment of sustainable open access consortia and shared digital infrastructure aimed at improving research accessibility and digital scholarship nationwide.
The communiqué reaffirmed that university libraries remain central to teaching, learning, research, and innovation, stressing the need for collective stakeholder action to build technologically driven and globally competitive academic libraries capable of advancing Nigeria’s higher education sector.
For information on Press Releases, Photos, Promotional Events and Adverts, Please message us on WhatsApp via (+234) 09052129258, 08124662170 or send an email to: info@educeleb.com.
