University of Africa Toru-Orua
Digital Repository
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Faculties in University of Africa Toru-Orua
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- This contains the intellectual works of the faculty members in Agriculture
- This contains the intellectual works of the faculty members in the Arts & Education
- This contains the intellectual works of the faculty members in the Faculty of Basic & Applied Sciences
- This contains the intellectual works of the faculty members in Social & Managment Sciences
Recent Submissions
SOURCING OPEN ACCESS ELECTRONIC DATABASES FOR SCHOLARLY USE BY LECTURERS IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES
(2024) Sawyerr-George, Oyinkepreye E.; Ogunbodede, Kolawole Francis
Some Nigerian female writers have devoted much time to fictionalising patriarchal society in which men
This study examines the utilization of open access electronic databases by faculty members and
librarians at the University of Africa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Using a descriptive survey design, data
were collected from 50 respondents (40 lecturers and 10 librarians) through a structured
questionnaire, achieving an 85% response rate. The findings reveal a high level of usage of open
access databases for scholarly research, with faculty members identifying significant benefits,
including enhanced access to academic resources, increased research visibility, and support for
teaching activities. However, challenges such as inconsistent power supply, poor internet
connectivity, and limited digital skills were identified as barriers to effective use. In addition, this
study highlights various free electronic databases available for scholarly use, such as the National
Virtual Library of Nigeria (NVLN), Project Gutenberg, and PubMed Central, emphasizing their
importance in providing access to educational materials. The effectiveness of subscription-based
versus open-access databases is discussed, noting that while subscription databases offer curated,
high-quality content, they often face underutilization due to awareness and training gaps. Conversely,
open-access databases democratize access to information but require critical evaluation of their
content quality. To enhance research capabilities in Nigerian universities, a multifaceted approach is
recommended, focusing on awareness and training, infrastructure improvement, collaboration
among institutions, and the establishment of institutional repositories. By addressing these areas,
Nigerian universities can effectively integrate open-access databases into their frameworks,
promoting academic growth and innovation.
Practice of Infopreneurship by Librarians in Public University Libraries in South-South Nigeria
(2023) Jerry Eyerinmene Friday; Sawyerr-George, Oyinkepreye E.
Objective – The aim of this study was to examine the practice of infopreneurship by librarians in
public university libraries in South-South Nigeria. The study specifically intended to identify
purposes of engaging in infopreneurship, methods of running infopreneurship, forms of
infopreneurship practiced, benefits derived from practicing infopreneurship, and challenges
encountered in practicing infopreneurship by the librarians.
Methods – The population of the study comprised all 175 librarians in 13 public university
libraries in South-South Nigeria, which were purposively chosen for the study. The study
employed convenience sampling to engage 102 librarians in the university libraries, who were involved in one form of infopreneurship or another. The librarians were identified through
preliminary investigation, observation, and interaction with the librarians by the researchers. The
instrument for data collection was a self-designed online questionnaire titled, “Librarians’
Infopreneurship Practice Questionnaire (LIPQ).” The instrument was validated by two experts in
the Department of Library and Information Science in Niger Delta University, Bayelsa State,
Nigeria. Reliability test was not conducted on the instrument, based on the knowledge that a
valid test tends to be reliable. The researchers distributed 128 digital copies of the draft of the
validated questionnaire to the librarians through personal WhatsApp accounts of the librarians,
WhatsApp groups of the various university libraries and WhatsApp groups of the different state
chapters of the Nigerian Library Association to which the librarians belonged. Out of the 128
questionnaires administered, 102 were properly completed by the librarians and returned,
producing a response rate of 97.69%. The data collected were analyzed using weighted mean and
standard deviation.
Results – The results from data analysis revealed that the librarians’ purposes of engaging in
infopreneurship were to earn extra income, provide for post-retirement, meet unforeseen
demands, and develop themselves. The librarians’ methods of running infopreneurship were
leveraging, customizing, facilitating access to, and providing instant delivery of information.
They used the following forms of infopreneurship: information brokerage, reprographic services,
research-aid services, book vending and internet services. Finally, challenges faced by the
librarians in practicing infopreneurship were lack of adequate finance, business infrastructure,
technical skill, and high rate of presence of non-professional infopreneurs.
Conclusion – The findings in this study demonstrate that librarians under study practice
infopreneurship primarily for purposes of making money and self-sustenance. They achieve this
by leveraging, customizing, facilitating access to and providing quick delivery of information.
With these methods, the librarians engage in information brokerage, reprographic services,
internet services, research-aid services and book vending. In return, these information
professionals enjoy additional income, financial independence, accumulated knowledge, and
enhanced sense of fulfillment. However, the practice of infopreneurship by the librarians is
hindered by shortage of sufficient funds, technical know-how, business facilities and high rate of
presence of unprofessional infopreneurs in the business.
Librarians beyond books: Supporting the accreditation process in Nigerian universities
(2026) Sawyerr-George, Oyinkepreye E.; Fischer-Amos, Elizabeth O. F
This study examined the role of librarians in supporting the
accreditation process of Nigerian universities. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. The population comprised
250 librarians from federal universities in the South-South and
South-West regions of Nigeria, and a census sampling technique was employed. Data were collected using an online
questionnaire, of which 223 valid responses were retrieved and
analyzed. The findings revealed that librarians are key contributors to the accreditation process, performing essential roles
such as preparing accreditation documents and reports, ensuring that library collections meet required standards, and collaborating with academic staff to support accreditation
requirements. The study also found that accreditation has a
positive impact on library development, particularly in terms of
resources, services, and facilities. Furthermore, librarians perceived the accreditation process as beneficial, as it provides
opportunities for institutional recognition, improved infrastructure, enhanced information resources, and increased collaboration. However, several challenges were identified, including the
late involvement of librarians in accreditation planning and
inadequate funding for the acquisition of information resources
and subscriptions to online databases. The hypothesis test
revealed that librarians’ involvement in the accreditation process significantly influenced library services and resource provision in universities. It is therefore recommended that librarians
be involved early in the accreditation process to facilitate effective planning, and that adequate funding be provided to support resource acquisition and database subscriptions.
EXPLORING STUDENTS' VIEWS AND UTILIZATION OF DIGITAL RESOURCES AT THE IGNATIUS AJURU UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, PORTHARCOURT, RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA
(2024) Sawyerr-George, Oyinkepreye E.; Nduka, Chinyere Joshua
The study looked at how students at the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education in Port-Harcourt,
Rivers State, Nigeria, used digital resources and what their opinions were. Three research questions served as
the study's compass, and a descriptive survey design was chosen. The target group consisted of all IAUE
undergraduate students. A sample size of 398 students was determined for the study. The recommendations of
Fox et al. (2007) and Meyer (1979), who suggested a sample size of 384 for studies conducted within an infinite
population range, served as the basis for this sample size justification. The practical difficulty in obtaining the
exact number of undergraduate students at the time of the study led to this decision. The tool for gathering data
was the questionnaire. Out of the 450 copies of the questionnaire that were given to the students, 398 were
recovered and deemed to be functional. The instrument's reliability was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha, and
the result was 0.85. The reliability of the questionnaire was established by the obtained coefficient. Frequency
counts and straightforward percentages were used to analyze the data, and SPSS was used to calculate the mean.
According to the findings, students use digital resources moderately for a variety of purposes and have a
positive perception of many aspects of them. The study also found that some of the difficulties with using the
internet included bad internet connectivity, insufficient information retrieval abilities, and a lack of time to look
for relevant resources. The researchers suggested that the university give priority to enhancing internet
connectivity across the campus by forming alliances with dependable service providers in light of these
findings. Organizing frequent training sessions or workshops centered on improving information retrieval skills
would also enable students to use digital resources more skillfully
An Assessment of Academic Database Subscription Management in Nigerian Tertiary Institutions: Challenges and Prospects
(2022) Irenoa, Kenneth O.; Sawyerr-George, Oyinkepreye E.
Research has remained a key expectation of universities all over the globe, and supporting the
research effort of academics is a key goal of libraries. Most of the support services is shown
by the availability of current information provided by journals and current research output.
The paper is an overview of the concept, types of databases and vendors of popular databases,
current practices and some identified bias in the subscription process in most universities in
Nigeria. The methodology adopted for the study is a descriptive survey research with
questionnaires used to solicit responses from participants using Google form. The paper also
recommends effort in building local-based content but globally available databases to increase
intellectual contribution to the body of knowledge. Government support in the area of
curriculum and general standards to reduce bias towards local content. Consortium-managed
subscription to international databases to reduce the cost burden on individual institutions and
improve access to rich sources of information.