The Nigerian university system: crossroads, conflicts and considerations

Abstract

The goal of this discourse is to identify and discuss potential crossroads. Furthermore, it will critically examine various conflict of interest scenarios and bring to the front burner issues for analytical considerations. The paper argues that the university library is engine house of scholarship, the heart and framework that support teaching, learning, and research. Students and faculty depend on university libraries to access information that supports their academic endeavours. It is further contended that as relevant information migrates to predominantly digital environment, university libraries will be expected to provide environments conductive to reading, study and research; they will become access point institutions to global literature in all fields of study. It is also contended that the roles of university libraries are many and varied. The high-profile status of the University Librarians makes their functions very challenging. The organizational power play and politics in the institutional, transactional and contextual environments of the library system lead to crossroads and conflict of interest, which the library leadership is hardly prepared for, especially new appointees to the high-profile leadership position of University Librarian. Emerging issues that must be addressed to resolve conflicts of interests include leadership status and clout and influence of the University Librarian as well as the world class features of Nigerian University Libraries, among others.

Keywords: University, System, Crossroad, Conflicts