The Vice Chancellor, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Professor Mohammed Hadi Sulaiman has called for renewed investment in libraries and information services as critical drivers of education, research, innovation, and national development.
Speaking as Chairman of the Occasion at the 64th National Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Library Association (NLA) held at the Siyyam International Conference Centre, Minna, Professor Sulaiman described the conference theme, “Our Future, Our Hope: The State of Libraries and Librarianship in Nigeria,” as timely and relevant to the nation’s development aspirations.
He noted that libraries remain the heartbeat of every educational system and indispensable centres for knowledge preservation, learning, research, innovation, and lifelong education. While acknowledging the significant contributions of academic and public libraries in promoting scholarship, informed decision-making, and community development,
The Vice Chancellor stressed that libraries must remain at the forefront of national planning and investment if Nigeria is to build a knowledge-driven economy capable of competing globally.
Professor Sulaiman also identified inadequate funding, obsolete infrastructure, limited access to current information resources and electronic databases, poor broadband connectivity, erratic power supply, and shortages of qualified personnel as major challenges confronting libraries across the country.
Despite these obstacles, he expressed optimism that the sector could be transformed through stronger government support, strategic partnerships, continuous professional development, research, innovation, digital transformation, and the adoption of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and digital repositories. He urged participants to use the conference as a platform to exchange ideas, develop practical solutions, and produce implementable recommendations that would strengthen library and information services across Nigeria.
Declaring the Conference open, the Honourable Commissioner for Information , Honourable Obed Nuhu Nana, who stood in for Farmer Governor Mohammed Umar Bago, reaffirmed the State Government’s commitment to building a knowledge-driven economy through sustained investment in libraries, education, digital technology, research, and innovation.
He described libraries as indispensable institutions for preserving knowledge, promoting education, supporting research, and providing equitable access to credible information and noted that in an era of rapid technological advancement and digital transformation, librarians have become strategic partners in governance, policy formulation, innovation, and national development, stressing that his administration remains committed to strengthening digital infrastructure.
The Commissioner further emphasised that libraries have evolved beyond repositories of books to become centres of digital literacy, innovation, entrepreneurship, and lifelong learning, urging librarians to embrace emerging technologies and position themselves as trusted custodians of credible information in the fight against misinformation and fake news.
Honourable Nana further reaffirmed the State’s support for initiatives aimed at integrating digital libraries into schools and tertiary institutions while promoting partnerships among government, educational institutions, and development partners to strengthen library and information services.
He also highlighted the importance of libraries in preserving government records, supporting academic research, and driving the State’s agricultural and digital economy agenda through effective information management. He commended the Nigerian Library Association for promoting professional excellence and encouraged participants to use the conference to develop practical solutions that would reposition libraries as catalysts for education, innovation, and sustainable national development.
In their separate welcome addresses, the National President of the Nigerian Library Association (NLA), Dr. Lawal Umar, and the Chairman of the NLA, Niger State Chapter, Dr. Musa Baba Adamu, welcomed delegates from across the country to the 64th National Conference and Annual General Meeting, describing the gathering as a significant platform for advancing librarianship and promoting knowledge-driven national development.
They noted that the conference theme, “Our Future, Our Hope,” reflects the critical role of libraries and information professionals in addressing the challenges of technological advancement, digital transformation, and the evolving information landscape. The duo reaffirmed the Association’s commitment to strengthening professional development through continuous training, digital innovation, strategic partnerships, and collaboration with government and relevant stakeholders to reposition libraries as centres of learning, research, innovation, and equitable access to information.
In his keynote address Professor Ezra Shiloba Gbaje of the Department of Library and Information Science, Federal University Lokoja, has called on Nigerian librarians to embrace emerging technologies and reposition libraries as innovation hubs capable of meeting the demands of the digital age.
Delivering the keynote address at the 64th National Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Library Association (NLA) in Minna, Professor Gbaje said the rapid emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, cloud computing, big data, virtual and augmented reality, radio-frequency identification (RFID), and digital preservation technologies is fundamentally transforming how information is created, managed, accessed, and consumed.
He stressed that librarians must move beyond their traditional role as custodians of books to becoming digital information specialists equipped with AI literacy and the capacity to train students, researchers, academics, and the wider public in the responsible use of emerging technologies.
The Keynote Speaker, however, expressed concern over the poor state of many libraries in Nigeria, attributing the situation to inadequate funding, obsolete infrastructure, poor internet connectivity, erratic power supply, limited access to electronic databases, and insufficient investment in digital technologies.
He observed that while academic libraries have made notable progress due to regulatory requirements, many public and school libraries remain underdeveloped, with some lacking functional library spaces and qualified personnel.
Professor Gbaje urged governments, educational institutions, library managers, and professional associations to prioritise investment in digital infrastructure, continuous staff training, curriculum review, and technology-driven library services.
In their separate goodwill messages, the Registrar and Chief Executive of the National Examinations Council (NECO), Professor Danlami Ibrahim Wushishi, and the Vice President of the Nigerian Library Association (NLA), Dr. Juliet C. Alex-Nmecha, commended the Association for sustaining a platform that promotes professional excellence, knowledge sharing, and innovation in library and information services.
They described libraries as indispensable institutions for quality education, research, and national development.