Education

Digital Information: ARLS Calls for Increased Funding Of Educational Libraries In Nigeria

Published

4 years ago

October 1, 2021

By joel Ajayi

The Academic and Research Libraries Section, ARLS has called for increased funding of educational libraries to improve work efficiency and enhance productivity in higher institutions.

ARLS Chairman, Dr Ifeanyi Ezema made the call at the 7th annual conference of the association held at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka Enugu State.

Dr Ezema who stated this during his welcome address to the members on Wednesday at their three-day annual national conference, said the need for increased funding of educational libraries at tertiary level by governments, heads of higher institutions and heads of academic and research institutions, has become imperative in view of the obvious realities and challenges the sector is facing in moulding future Leaders and greater Nigerians.

“The theme of the Conference ‘Academic and Research Libraries in Digital Information Environment’ was dopted based on the numerous challenges facing academic libraries in the current digital environment particularly developing economy.

“These challenges are becoming increasingly complex with the present Covid-19 pandemic.
Being at the center of academic activities in our higher institutions, academic libraries must congregate to chart better easy of mitigating these challenges.

“Funding of academic libraries in the pre-covid-19 global pandemic had been very precarious and has now been complicated with the current economic downturn.

“The digital environment has succeeded in shrinking the world into a global village and breaking the barriers of space and time. The new technology will be highly impactful in handling the challenges of Covid-19 pandemic as the new normal does not support large crowd.

“This however, requires serious commitments from the government, heads of higher institutions and heads of academic and research libraries. The days of paying lip service to funding of libraries must come to an end so that our country would have viable academic and research libraries that are capable of rendering services in line with best practices globally,” Dr Ezema who is also the Chief Librarian, Enugu State University of Sicence and Technology, ESUT said.

Earlier in his opening speech, the Vice Chancellor, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Prof. Charles Arinzechukwu Igwe who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor Administratiom, Prof. Johnson Urama, thanked the ARLS for giving the university the privilege to host the annual conference stressing that the role.of the library on academic institutions cannot be ignored.

“On behalf of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Charles Arinzechukwu Igwe, I welcome you to the first indigenous University in the country, University of Nigeria for your 7th national annual conference. We thank your leaders for giving us the responsibility to host you.

“Libraries in institutions – University, colleges of education, Polytechnic or research institutes – is the heart of such institutions. Without libraries, I wonder what they would be. Therefore, library plays a very vital role in institutions of higher learning and we are delighted that a meeting like this will come up with ideas, suggestions that will continue to reposition the library and move our institutions forward.

“The height any institution can attain depends to a very large extent, on what their library can provide. You cannot talk about research or any serious academic activity without reference to the library,” he said.

Making his keynote address, the guest speaker,
Ven. Prof. Obiora Nwosu, Acting Vice Chancellor, Paul University, Awka Anambra State; while disclosing that no library in the country has gone fully digital, advised that for libraries and librarians to remain relevant and still to be seen as indispensable, the academic and research libraries must go full digital.

This he said will be achieved if government and heads of institutions fund the full development and see to the efficient and effective management of digital libraries.

“No single known library in Nigeria has gone fully digital. Many libraries in Nigeria have tried to go full digital but none has actually been there. At best the libraries run hybrid libraries. They are, therefore, faced with the challenges of managing both the physical and digital information environments of the libraries.

“Libraries and Librarians to remain relevant and still to be seen as indispensable, the academic and research libraries must go full digital. World over, operations and services have gone digital. Academic Libraries should key into the full digital information environment and align themselves with the international digital information services delivery best practices.

“Universities have no option than to fund the full development and see to the efficient and effective management of digital libraries. Adequate infrastructure and facilities should be provided. Building digital resources is now a common place in the universities,” he said.

The three-day conference which took off on September 28 and drew participants from various higher institutions across the country was rounded off on 30.

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Education

NELFUND assures students of smart system to improve loan access

Published

4 weeks ago

May 7, 2025

The Gleamer

Mariam Abeeb

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has assured students it was working assiduously towards building a technology driven system that would improve easy access to its loans.

This was as the FUND disclosed that no fewer than 320,000 students have thus far been paid with many more currently undergoing verification process to enable their payments.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer NELFUND, Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr gave the assurances in Abuja, while addressing Polytechnics , Monotechnics and Institutes at a Stakeholders Engagement Session/ Technical Workshop on NELFUND System Automation and Loan Application Processes.

Sawyerr noted that the FUND was targeting a platform where students could access loan with confidence and without stress in a manner that was transparent and accountable.

He said: “At NELFUND our mission goes beyond giving loans. It’s about opening doors, it’s about making sure every young Nigerian who is willing to learn and grow has a real shot regardless of their background, location, or chosen path of study.

“For too long, many students, especially in technical institutions, have faced steep financial barriers; some drop out, others have never even applied. This is the gap we at NELFUND are here to close. But we know we can’t do it alone.

“This is a shared mission. It belongs to all of us, government institutions and the private sector alike. This technical workshop marks a major step forward.

“We’re not only providing financing, we’re building a technology-driven system that makes it easier for students to apply, for institutions to verify, and for funds to be disbursed with speed, fairness, and accountability.

“We’re aiming for access without stress, a platform students can use with confidence; transparency and trust so that no one is left wondering where their application stands; partnership with purpose because your feedback, your data, and your cooperation are critical to making this work. We rely on you as our institutional partners to help us bring this vision to life.”

Sawyerr who commended the institutions for providing technical expertise, practical hands-on training that fuels industries and empowers communities over the years, said besides teaching skills, they have built careers, created employers and strengthened economies.

“You know your students, you understand their struggles, your insights will help us tailor this system to reflect the realities on ground, not just assumptions on paper.

“To NBTE, we value your steady leadership in shaping and regulating technical education. Your collaboration is key as we move forward fully.”

The NELFUND boss urged the institutions to partner with the FUND to deliver a system that was not just functional or sustainable, but one that was transformative

“As we move forward fully, integrating NELFUND processes with institutional systems and standards, let us remember at the heart of all of this is a student, a young Nigerian with dreams, with ambition, and the courage to pursue them. Everything we do must serve that student.

“The only way to make it happen is by working together, listening to one another, and staying grounded in real-world challenges. I encourage you all to engage fully today share what’s working and what is not, and together let’s build something that lasts.”

NELFUND ‘s Executive Director, Operations, Mr. Iyal Mustapha, disclosed that apart from the 320,000 students who have so far been paid, more verifications are currently ongoing.

Mustapha, who explained that the failure of not having the number of registered students tally with the number of students whose application process was deemed successful was from the part of students and not NELFUND, said there was an urgent need to bridge the gap.

He also disclosed that the FUND was considering connecting directly to institution’s portal to get the data they need, and how student could apply to their institutions portal without necessarily reaching out to NELFUND.

“One other thing that we’re trying to do going forward is to send some of our IT to all the institutions so that we can see how possible it is we connect directly to your portal instead of saying please send us data. How can we connect using an API which makes it easier to get the data of any student coming to us directly from your portal and not from our portal. So we don’t need to be collecting any data again.

“At the same time, we’re thinking of seeing how is it possible that a student can apply to your portal without coming to us. So it makes it so easy for the student when they’re doing registration, when they’re doing payments, they can select either to apply for NELFUND loans and the process will go through your portal. So you have all the data without ever reaching to NELFUND. All we need is for you to give assurance these are your students and if we have that, we pay you directly. It makes it simpler and faster for all the students.”

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