Digital Libraries and Higher Education in Nigeria in 21st Century

Abstract

Higher education in Nigeria has come under severe criticisms in recent time due to poor quality of its products. There is therefore an urgent need for academic institutions in Nigeria to catch up with innovations in educational practices in developed economies. This paper explores the benefits of digital libraries to higher education in Nigeria in the 21st century. It examines the challenges being faced by higher education in Nigeria. These include the deplorable state of the libraries, inadequate funding, severe shortfall in teacher: student ratio, poor quality of graduates, increasing demand for participation in higher education, among others. It highlights the fact that digital libraries are critical and essential for effective teaching, research, and learning in all tertiary institutions in the 21st century and it should therefore be a priority. However, the paper stresses that the development of digital libraries should not be conceived as a panacea for the myriads of challenges facing higher education in Nigeria but that it is a technology that promises to address some of these challenges. Therefore, strong and unwavering commitment by all the stakeholders towards the deployment of digital libraries in tertiary education is recommended.