Institutional Repositories in Universities in Nigeria

The desire of academic institutions to link up to the virtual repository is a global phenomenon. Traditional scholarly publication through established journals characterized by peer review is being challenged by less formal net-based communication that links scholars essentially instantaneously. The contention is that universities need to preserve the benefits of the old system, in which the review process provides cohesion to a given field, while taking advantage of the speed and ease of access promised by the new media. This paper explores the Nigerian situation as it pertains to universities. The paper is basically descriptive and relies mostly on empirical evidences. It was revealed that because of the opportunities created by this new innovation, there is a burning and widespread desire to latch on this opportunity to increase the visibility of their intellectual output and productivity in the universities. The universities also face challenges in this respect which includes poor technology infrastructure, inadequate funding and lack of awareness amongst others. It is believed that if progress made so far is sustained with improvements on challenges the development, management and deployment of IRs will record tremendous success in universities in Nigeria.