National Library of Nigeria embarks on digital transformation, eyes global partnerships
The National Library of Nigeria (NLN) is making significant strides in digitalising its resources to strengthen the country’s knowledge infrastructure and improve access to scholarly and cultural information. The Chief
- By Frank Ikpefan, Abuja
The National Library of Nigeria (NLN) is making significant strides in digitalising its resources to strengthen the country’s knowledge infrastructure and improve access to scholarly and cultural information.
The Chief Executive Officer of NLN, Prof. Chinwe Anunobi, disclosed this while addressing the National Libraries Forum in Rome, Italy, yesterday.
According to a statement by Vershima Orvell-Dio, Assistant Director of Information and Public Relations at NLN, the National Librarian highlighted several initiatives, including the National Repository of Nigeria (NRN), Virtual Library of Nigeria (VLN), Index to Nigerian Newspapers, Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC), and the Online Journal System, among others.
“These platforms collectively contribute to strengthening national bibliographic control and improving the discoverability of Nigerian knowledge resources,” she said in the statement.
She also noted the library’s pioneering use of Semantic Web technologies, in collaboration with organisations such as IFLA, Wikimedia Foundation, and Wikimedia Deutschland, to enhance the global visibility of African knowledge.
“With the integration of linked data and Wikibase infrastructure, we are ensuring that African intellectual contributions are more discoverable on the global stage,” Prof. Anunobi added.
A major innovation is the National Library of Nigeria Authority Control System (NLN Authority ID), which assigns unique identifiers to Nigerian authors, links their works to international databases, and promotes interoperability across global knowledge platforms.
Prof. Anunobi also used the opportunity to seek collaboration with EBSCO Information Services in AI-driven metadata enrichment, advanced discovery systems, knowledge graph integration, and strengthening digital research infrastructure for Nigerian universities.
Originally scheduled to be held in Dubai, the forum relocated to Rome due to escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Other national libraries in attendance included those of Brazil, South Africa, Chile, the Vatican, and Greece.
Prof. Anunobi restated the commitment of the NLN at the forum to leveraging emerging technologies for national knowledge development.
